Time and what became of it
by GerdavR
Summary: When Quinn meets Teava he falls in love with the fierce Sith Warrior, although he knows that he is only a failed lowly soldier and she is a powerful noble Pureblood. Slightly AU fic with an awkward, insecure Quinn - luckily he can rely on Vette for relationship advice. (Angst, fluff and everything between - many thanks to my beta aliyamirat) Cover by the awesome saph-y!
1. The Warrior

The shrill beeping of the chronometer rang through the room. Quinn exhaled and fumbled the shrieking device on his bedstand until he finally hit the off button. He closed his eyes for a moment before he finally got up. He slowly entered the tiny bathroom he had in his own personal quarters. Quinn activated the hydro tap and splashed water in his face. He looked at himself in the rectangular mirror above the washbasin. Had these lines in his face always been there? Or hadn't he noticed before?

With a few mechanical movements he shaved himself with his durasteel razor. With the same routine he brushed his teeth and combed his hair.

When he stepped out of the bathroom he glanced at his chronometer on the small table next to his bunk.

05:07.

He took a fresh uniform from his wardrobe and began to dress.

Quinn checked the time when he closed the top-most button of his uniform jacket: 05:12.

He strode out of his quarter and headed for the mess hall in barrack E1. Quinn walked through the grey corridors, nodded at some of the soldiers, trying to look alert instead of weary. Finally he arrived at the mess hall and took a piece of dark bread and a cup of Balmorran seagrass tea from the meagre officer's buffet. The tables were mostly empty. Quinn sat down at the table in the far back and ate the slice of bread while drinking his still-hot tea. He read the latest report on enemy movements on his data pad, bookmarking suspicious activities for later.

He looked at his chronometer: 05:21.

Quinn put the mug into the delivery station at the entrance of the mess hall and headed for his office in central Sobrik.

At exactly 05:30 he sat down at his desk and began to check his messages, as well as incoming reports and intel. At 05:55 his colleagues arrived at their work places.

Quinn was working with his usual diligence, losing himself in the process of analysing reports and drawing up possible strategy tactics to counter the resistances efforts. At 11:37 Quinn realised that he was ahead of his schedule – if he didn't slow down he would be through with his work at least two hours before his shift ended. He sighed and tried to read slower.

Lunch break was at 12:00. Exactly 59 minutes later, Quinn began working again. Reading, analysing, writing reports, instructing soldiers on strategies. Five hours later, his shift ended and Quinn headed in the mess hall E1 for dinner.

At 19:30 he visited the training room and worked out. Then he returned to his room and began to read about the history of Taris. Third edition. Quinn had started to read up on complete histories of core planets after the first five years on Balmorra. It was of no direct interest for him, but it relieved the strange tension that sometimes overcame him: a gruelling feeling that his skin was too tight, an urge to senselessly punch something, anything; usually accompanied by the creeping suspicion that his mental faculties were disintegrating. Sometimes he stared at his data pad without reading, too tired to move on, sometimes he didn't even remember what the reports he wrote contained. Panicked he checked them at once – only to discover that they were as meticulous and succinct as the ones he remembered.

At 20:45 he showered and prepared everything for the next day. At 21:00 he went to bed and turned the lights off.

The beeping of the chronometer woke him up. He buried his face in his hands, for a fraction of a second he considered to go to sleep again, after a brief moment of hesitation he got up and headed in the bathroom.

At 05:12 he left his quarters and arrived at 05:30 in the office. 12:00 Lunch. Slow reading in the after-noon. 18:06 Dinner. 19:30 working out. 20:30 a shower. 21:00 lights off.

Day after day after day.

ooOOoo

A new batch of recruits arrived in Sobrik. Quinn greeted and instructed them as always. It was the same speech he had given over and over again. After he dismissed them, he put out the holoprojector and started to scroll through the personnel files. The recruits murmured and he heard how they discussed going to the local cantina.

"Man, I could use some booze!"

"Yeah, me too!"

"Jillins – you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll just ask the Lieutenant…"

"Nah, leave him…" the rest was whispered.

But Quinn didn't need to hear it to know what they were talking about. That he had earned a deep disfavour with High Command, that he would never make it off this rock let alone rise past his current rank. That he wasn't worth the effort. He was respected by his fellow soldiers, there was no doubt about it and he was good at his job, but that was it. He had long come to accept that.

He glanced at the recruits. They were laughing and talking with each other. Even if they were to ask him if he wanted to come along, he wouldn't know what to say to them. They were all so young… but perhaps they still would be interested to hear how Taris was destroyed? He could tell them all about it, pointing out the importance of superior naval might. Perhaps he could listen where they had been stationed before. It could be nice change…

Quinn watched how they left, he still stood by the holoprojector pretending to look through the files until the last soldier strode out of the room. Nobody asked him to tag along. He scoffed. Well, it was certainly better this way. He wasn't good at small talk; it would've bored him anyway. And he had planned to read some more in the evening.

ooOOoo

A few hours later, just when he was about to turn off the light, his holocommunicator beeped. Quinn noted with excitement that it was a caller ID from Dromund Kaas – it had to be Darth Baras. He took a deep breath, exhaled and pushed the receive button.

Baras's figure appeared, he clasped his hands behind his back. "Lieutenant Quinn."

"Darth Baras, how may I be of service?"

"I have two tasks for you: Tomorrow my apprentice will arrive on Balmorra. I expect you to support her in any way you can. The second task is strictly confidential: You will monitor a Jedi investigator who arrived two days ago."

Quinn bowed his head. "Yes, my lord." His voice was steady, but he was excited. Finally something of importance to do! Something to put all his energy into!

"You will receive all necessary intel shortly – this is an important mission, and I only entrust the finest."

"I'm honoured, my lord," Quinn replied. Although he knew that Baras wasn't seeing him as a key figure in his schemes, it felt surprisingly good to hear these words.

"We will speak again soon," Baras said before he cut the connection.

True to his word, Quinn received a huge pile of data in a matter of minutes. He scrolled through it and quickly calculated how much time it would take him to compile everything and come up with instructions for Baras's apprentice. Energized, Quinn buried himself in the work.

ooOOoo

When the chronometer rang in the morning, Quinn quickly got up, rushed into the bathroom and left his quarters at 05:09. He strode into the mess hall, grabbed a bowl of Corellian porridge and his usual cup of tea and consumed everything quickly. Although he had only slept five hours, he felt more awake than in months, if not in years.

Quinn arrived in his office at 05:22 and immediately checked his data again. He knew that he had been thorough, but he left nothing to chance.

When everything was prepared Quinn plunged himself in his daily work, determined to finish everything up so that he could support Darth Baras' apprentice in every way.

About three hours later he heard the usual chatter outside his office die down, and almost creepy silence spread out. Quinn interpreted this as a sign of Sith presence. He got up from his desk and stood at parade rest. He intended to greet the apprentice with all possible dignity and honour.

When a tall female Sith pureblood entered, he snapped at attention. Her skin was dark red, her symmetrical face was covered in golden piercings. But the jewellery seemed pale in comparison to her bright yellow eyes. Judging from her short black hair and her unadorned armour, she seemed to be a rather practical Sith. The apprentice was accompanied by a blue-skinned female Twi'lek who wore light armour and carried two blasters at her hips.

The apprentice flashed a breathtaking grin at him. "At ease, Lieutenant Quinn." Her voice was deep and calm, a beautiful voice…

"My lord," Quinn pulled himself together and bowed. It was always better to be careful when dealing with Sith. Then he eased into the parade rest, and clasped his hands behind his back.

"I assume my master has already informed you of my arrival. I'm Teava Kâmnash and this is my companion, Vette."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lord. Darth Baras will brief you personally, but I'm to acquaint you with the climate here on Balmorra first," Quinn said. He fully expected Teava to dismiss his briefing like most Sith would, and dug this right thumbnail into the soft tissue between his left thumb and index finger.

"By all means, go ahead."

Quinn relaxed his fingers and explained quickly how the Empire was fighting against the Republic sympathisers on Balmorra. Then he patched Darth Baras through so that he could instruct his apprentice.

As soon as Baras appeared on the holocomm station, he ordered Quinn to leave. After a few minutes he was called back to brief Teava for her attack on the satellite control tower.

She checked the map he had uploaded to her data pad.

"You are very thorough, Lieutenant." Again she smiled at him. It wasn't the usual cruel smile Sith tended to give Imperial personnel, Quinn registered, and he felt heat crawling up his cheeks. "Do I assume correctly that you will help me with any further missions on this planet?"

"Yes, I am in your charge for as long as you are on this planet," he replied quickly.

"That's a relief," Teava remarked, and ogled him from top to bottom.

The way Vette snickered after these words caused Quinn to fall back into parade rest. He pinched his left hand again. Was Teava mocking him? He had no doubt that his plans were immaculate, so why were they mocking him? Since he didn't know how to interpret her reaction, he decided to ignore it.

"Yes, my lord."

Teava turned to Vette. "You ready to blow things up?"

"Sure!" Vette exclaimed.

Quinn wondered what their relationship was. At first he had thought that Vette was Teava's slave, but she wasn't wearing a shock collar and she didn't act like a slave.

They strode out, leaving Quinn alone in his office. He wiped across his face and decided to check upon the Jedi investigator his spies were tracking.

ooOOoo

Teava and Vette's mission was successful and when they returned in the late afternoon Quinn greeted them with a stiff bow.

"You don't have to bow to me, Lieutenant. Just make sure that you keep up the good work," Teava said, leaning casually against his desk.

Vette even sat down on his desk and let her feet dangle in the air.

Quinn blinked and cleared his throat. "Yes, my lord… I apologize."

"Don't sweat it."

"Well, I will work on future calibrations to suit them for your unprecedented abilities. Clearly, you are not a typical Sith…" When he realised how condescending he sounded, he broke off.

Instead of getting angry, Teava gave him a lopsided grin. "Quinn… you know just what to say."

Again Vette giggled. Quinn glanced at her and swallowed. "W… Well, I…" then he pulled himself together. "Darth Baras is pleased. He says it's time to zero in on your prime directive, and he awaits your contact. You can use my holocommunicator, the line is secure. I'll be waiting outside."

"Thank you," said Teava in her deep, melodious voice.

Quinn looked at her and frowned before he rearranged his face into a neutral expression. Then he left so Baras could talk to his apprentice.

When he was called back in, he gave Vette and Teava the prepared briefing on the Balmorran Arms Factory and what they should expect. Coming up with a strategy to infiltrate the factory had kept him up for quite some time;it was a very complicated matter. And yet he was certain that he had come up with the best possible solution.

"An incursion into the arms factory will be a monumental feat. I'm excited by the prospect of you laying waste to that place," he said as he concluded the briefing.

Teava put her hands on her hips. "So, I excite you, do I?"

Quinn was again caught off guard by this … Sith game. Was it mockery or did she actually flirt with him? "W… well, what I meant was … when I imagine all the ways you will shape the galaxy, I get very excited, yes."

She stepped very close to him and said in a sultry voice: "How easily you fluster, Lieutenant."

Quinn felt heat crawl up his cheeks and at the same time his heartbeat quickened: She was really flirting with him. He cleared his throat. "Well, my lord, your question was a bit surprising. My mind is on the task at hand."

"It's called multitasking, Lieutenant. Look into it," piped Vette in.

"I am always interested in bettering myself..." Quinn cleared his throat. "M-may I continue to brief you on the Balmorran Arms Factory?"

"I reserve the right to readdress this issue in the future," Teava said.

Quinn gulped. She was indeed as tenacious as she was attractive. He didn't understand what she was hoping to achieve with her flirting. She was a very powerful and competent woman – a Sith with the best prospects to become Darth Baras' right hand. In other words, she was completely out of his league. Did she really expect him to go along with her flirting? Or was she setting him up?

"That is your prerogative, of course," he finally replied.

"We should get going, Vette," she said, without letting him out of her sight.

"Right behind you, boss."

Teava turned on her heel and walked out of Quinn's office. He couldn't help but follow her with his eyes until she was out of sight.


	2. The Professional

Quinn monitored the Jedi investigator with his tracking devices while waiting to hear from Teava, when he suddenly got a live audio feed.

"I followed Baras' orders to the… was never my purpose here," said a male voice with a republican accent. "I served for the glory of the Empire. But the life of a spy is a slippery one."

"I'm honoured to be the one to kill you," said a female voice. Quinn instantly recognized it as Teava's.

His frowned as he checked the frequency. Yes, there was no doubt – it was the Jedi investigator who was listening in on Teava! He quickly sent his operatives a message to intercept the investigator at all costs.

The next thing he heard was the buzzing of a lightsaber and a muffled scream.

Quinn called Teava's holofrequency. She picked up and he didn't even wait for her to greet him.

"My lord, I believe we've got trouble. I heard your conversation just now."

"How could you hear my conversation? Have you been spying on me, Imperial?" she hissed. Gone was her mellow mood she had displayed toward him earlier.

He stayed calm, Sith moods he could handle, Sith flirting he could not. "No, my lord. Apparently the Jedi investigator bugged the base somehow. And as she listened in on your conversation, I heard what she heard. The investigator knows about your mission."

"The same can be said of you now," she retorted.

Hearing these word sent shivers up and down his spine. But he tried to sound unimpressed. "Yes, but I pose no risk to Darth Baras or you. If this investigator gets away, she'll expose everything."

In this moment he got a message from his operatives: They had cut off the investigator to the Republic landing bay.

"Hold on, my lord."

He quickly calculated how to direct the investigator to Sobrik and messaged his orders to his operatives.

"Quinn?" asked Teava, she didn't sound as annoyed as before.

"The investigator was heading to her ship, my lord. I am systematically blocking her avenues of transmission and escape, herding her to the spaceport at Sobrik."

"I will be there soon," said Teava and cut off the connection.

Quinn quickly gathered a detail of soldiers and hurried out of his office – there was no time to waste. If this Jedi investigator was indeed a real Jedi he had to mobilize every available soldier.

ooOOoo

When Quinn arrived at the spaceport he already received reports from his operatives that the investigator was indeed heading his way. A rather keyed-up atmosphere spread among the soldiers gathered at the spaceport; most of them were new recruits and seemed nervous.

After about an hour a lone figure in a suspicious yellow robe entered the spaceport. Quinn gave the signal to surround her.

"Surrender, Jedi!" yelled Quinn and trained his blaster at her.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," replied the investigator with a soft voice. She pulled her lightsaber from her robes and ignited it. "Please step aside."

"Has this ever worked?" rang a voice out.

Quinn jerked his head toward the entrance and saw Teava casually walking in, Vette was following her.

"I have purity of purpose, Sith. I seek neither thrills nor satisfaction. Unlike you, I am calm. I will prevail." The Jedi turned at pointed her lightsaber in Teava's direction.

Teava slowly took her lightsabers from her belt and ignited them. "How incredibly boring."

She charged at the Jedi, Quinn gestured his soldiers to hold their fire. It was clear that Teava wanted to defeat the Jedi on her own.

Quinn had never seen a lightsaber fight up close and was awed at the prowess and speed the women displayed in their fierce combat. It became clear after the first few blows that Teava was going to win, the Jedi was driven back until she lost her lightsaber in a vain attempt to block one of Teava's strikes.

She fell on the floor, panting heavily. Teava held her lightsaber at her throat. "Your victory means nothing. The damage has been done. The proof has been transmitted."

Teava gritted her teeth and was about to deal the deathblow.

"I intercepted your transmission. The Jedi know nothing," Quinn said loudly as he approached her.

Teava's frown eased and she grinned at him. "Quinn! I could kiss you!"

Quinn stiffened and said quietly, "I'm only doing my job, my lord."

"Gloat all you like, it means nothing. I remain at peace. And Nomen Karr and his Padawan will still defeat you," interjected the Jedi.

He gestured his men to cuff her while staring at the Jedi. So this wasn't just about a spy? What was Teava's true mission?

"Tell me the name of Nomen Karr's Padawan!" commanded Teava.

The Jedi just closed her eyes and seemed to meditate while she was being detained.

"Bring her to Darth Baras for questioning," ordered Teava. "I'm certain that she will break eventually."

"Yes, my lord," replied Quinn and implied a bow.

"We will meet in your office as soon as you've secured her, Quinn." Without waiting for him to answer she turned to Vette. "Let's get off this dustball, Vette."

"Can we go somewhere with a nice beach next?"

Teava laughed. It was a warm, deep chuckle. "We'll see."

Quinn assumed that he was dismissed and followed the captured Jedi and his soldiers into the main prison.

ooOOoo

When the Jedi was secured with a shock collar and magnetic cuffs, Quinn left the prison to head for his office. He was satisfied how everything had played out – the mission had been successful. His operatives had been excellent, their intel had proved invaluable. He should put them up for a commendation. Darth Baras was certainly pleased with his performance… Quinn's thoughts returned to Teava's comment on how he knew too much. Was she going to kill him to keep her primary mission secret? But then she had to kill the soldiers who had been present at the Jedi's capture too. No, he was safe. Safe… on Balmorra.

The realisation that he would have to return to his daily grind as soon as Darth Baras' apprentice left struck him. Teava would soon leave this 'dustball' and he would… stay. Suddenly all his energy vanished. He slowed his step. No, this wasn't the time for defeatism. He would continue to serve the Empire to the best of his abilities. After everything that had happened at Druckenwell, he was lucky that he was still allowed to wear the uniform. He should be grateful, Quinn reminded himself.

He made an effort to at least appear energised when he finally stepped into his office. Teava and Vette stood in front of the holoterminal, Darth Baras was still speaking to them. Quinn stopped and turned to leave when Teava called out: "Quinn! Come on in!"

He approached them and bowed.

"Lieutenant Quinn, how good of you to join us," droned Baras. "I take it that you arranged the Jedi's transport to Dromund Kaas?"

"Yes, my lord."

"How would you assess Quinn's contribution, apprentice?" Baras asked, as if Quinn wasn't in the room.

"Lieutenant Quinn is an exceptional officer. I couldn't have done it without him," said Teava in a friendly tone.

Quinn flinched. Just moments ago he had thought about the possibility that she could kill him and now she's complimenting him? She was indeed hard to read – or was he just not able to read her?

"High praise indeed. Quinn, I believe you have sufficiently repaid the debt owed to me. I'm putting you up for a captaincy and transferring you to my apprentice."

Quinn almost gasped – he would get off Balmorra! After ten years he could get away from this backwater planet! But… he was to be transferred to Teava?

"I… I'm honoured, my lord," he stammered. "If my actions benefit the Empire, they benefit me. I would have done the same regardless of our past." Quinn couldn't bring himself to look at Teava – Baras had forced his services on her. She couldn't be pleased.

"Apprentice, your presence on Balmorra is no longer needed. Return to your ship when you're ready to leave. I'll contact you soon," said Baras and ended the holocall.

Quinn turned to face Teava, anxious about her reaction. She crossed her arms before she spoke. "It seems that we don't have choice in this matter, Lieutenant."

"I'm ready and willing to serve in whatever capacity you see fit," he quickly said.

"Whatever capacity I see fit? How exciting." She visibly relaxed and gave him a wolfish smile.

"Interesting choice of words," Vette said. She apparently had to bite back laughter.

Quinn decided to ignore the mockery and proceeded to expunge any doubt about his competence. "My lord, if given the chance, I know I will prove myself to you. I'm a top-notch pilot, military strategist and a deadly shot. I can fly your ship, plan your battles, assess your enemies and kill them."

"Alright, I'm glad to have you, Quinn," said Teava with a smirk. "Collect your things and meet us at hangar B-22, our ship is docked there."

"Thank you, my lord." Quinn was still a flabbergasted about the development but he felt content, even happy to finally move forward.

ooOOoo

Sending his reassignment papers to high command, as well as packing his personal belongings in a suitcase took only a matter of minutes. He had already been at the armoury and had swapped his grey naval uniform for the black one reserved for soldiers serving Sith.

Quinn stood in his quarters, taking a last look – it felt surreal that he would leave this place for good. Or at least he assumed that he wouldn't return here even if Teava should dismiss him from her services.

Quinn put out the light, locked the door and walked down the grey corridor. There was nobody he needed to say his good-byes to, so he went straight to hangar B-22. He was familiar with interceptor class starships, but he still took the time to admire the _Fury_ before boarding it.

As soon as the airlock closed behind him he was greeted by a metallic grey droid.

"Hello, Lieutenant Quinn! My master already informed me about your arrival. I'm 2V and I will gladly…"

In this moment Teava appeared. "Thank you, 2V, I will handle the tour myself." She smiled at him. "Please take Quinn's luggage to the crew quarters."

She led Quinn through the _Fury_ , showing him the med bay, the cockpit, the galley, the bathroom, the training room and finally the crew quarters.

"My quarters are across the corridor, the cargo hold is next to the engine room. Please accompany me to the conference room. We should discuss how things are handled under my command."

"Of course, my lord," Quinn replied.

To his surprise Vette joined them in the conference room. At least he would learn about their relationship and how to act accordingly. During the tour he had decided that he would do everything to please Teava, so he wouldn't be send back to Balmorra or any other dull planet.

"Alright, now that we're all here I would like to establish some ground rules," said Teava and sat down at the top of the table.

Ground rules? So she wouldn't run her ship according to naval customs? Quinn clasped his hands behind his back, and grabbed his left hand with his right and waited for her to continue.

"I want you to speak up if there is something you wish to address. I won't insist on formalities and I'm not interesting in flattery. I want things run efficiently and professionally. Judging from the way you handled our mission on Balmorra I'm confident that you will adapt quickly, Quinn. Do you have questions?"

"May I inquire what's Vette's role is?"

"You can talk to me directly, y'know," Vette piped in.

"Apologies."

"So, I'm officially Teava's slave, but well… unofficially we just decided to work together."

Quinn wasn't certain if he understood this unusual arrangement, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Can I ask you something in return?"

"Of course," replied Quinn. His mouth twitched slightly.

"What kind of debt did you owe Baras?"

Quinn shifted his weight from one leg to another. "I was court-martialled because I disobeyed an order. Darth Baras enabled me to stay in the naval forces and stationed me on Balmorra." He glanced at Teava. "But I can assure you that I will follow your orders to the letter."

"I don't require a mindless servant, Lieutenant. I assume you had good reason to disobey the order?"

Quinn shortly debated whether he should negate, but in the end he decided to answer truthfully. "Yes, my lord. I did."

"Strange, it must have served Baras to keep you on Balmorra – he could clearly advance you," said Vette while rubbing her chin.

"I… yes…" Quinn was startled at the thought. Indeed, it seemed that Baras was casually promoting him – then why had he kept him languishing for a decade on Balmorra?

"Another thing, Quinn. Your promotion was just confirmed by imperial high command," Teava put a small box on the table. When she opened it, the insignia of a captain 1st rank became visible. She took it out of the box. "Come here, I will pin it on."

Quinn obeyed and stood almost at attention in front of her. She removed his old insignia and attached the new one. He did register that she stood a little closer than she had to in order to perform the task. Feeling her touch was strange, and yet he took comfort in it, although he wasn't sure why.

When she was finished she stepped back and smiled at him. "Congratulations, Captain Quinn."

"Thank you, my lord."

"Let's celebrate with a couple of drinks!" Vette exclaimed, slapping Quinn on the shoulder. "Let's see if we can loosen you up a bit, Captain!"

ooOOoo

Quinn was astounded to see how many drinks Vette and Teava gulped down, it was as if they were have some sort of competition. He on the other hand had only had two Korriban whiskeys on the rocks. They told him increasingly incoherent stories about their time together and laughed at nonsensical things. After a while Teava got up and shuffled into her quarters, leaving Vette and Quinn in the galley.

"I'm a little tired, let me just rest my eyes for a moment," Vette mumbled as she rested her head on her arms.

Quinn leaned back and emptied his glass. He let his gaze wander through the galley. It was a standard kitchen with the usual furnishings, but then his eye caught a note pad pinned on the replicator. He got up and drew nearer. 'No nerf milk for Vette' was written on it. Someone had added under it: 'By order of the mighty Lord Creepy-Eye.' Curious. Quinn turned to ask Vette about it, but she was already sleeping, at least judging from her deep breaths.

He gathered all the glasses from the table and put them into the fresher. Vette still didn't move, so Quinn decided to wake her up. He put his hand on her shoulder and shook her until she opened her eyes.

"What?"

"You fell asleep on the table. You need to go to your bunk."

"Okay." Vette got up and wobbled as she walked toward the door. Just as her legs seemed to fail her, he grabbed her waist and held her steady. She put her arm around his neck.

"Do you know that I hate fucking Imps?" Vette asked in a slurred voice.

"Really?" Quinn asked dryly while almost dragging her to the crew quarters.

"Yeah I do… but T is nice, y'know."

He didn't answer. Finally they did reach the crew quarters and he helped her get into her bed. Just when he was about to say that she should take off her boots, he saw that she was asleep again. He sighed and pulled the boots from her feet and put a blanket over her.

While stripping off his uniform, Quinn mused about his new position and his new superior. Teava was indeed hard to read. On Balmorra she had been very efficient, focussed and professional and at the same time she had bantered, even flirted with him and threatened him. And the way she acted around her slave… it didn't fit. Or was he missing something? Well, he would complete his analysis soon. All he needed was time.

ooOOoo

The chronometer beeped at 05:00. Quinn silenced it and quickly got up, dressed himself and headed in the galley. Even after a cup of tea he felt weary. It was not surprising, as he had only slept 3 hours and the days before had left him with little sleep as well. But he had to show Teava that he deserved his position; sleep was a luxury at this point. Quinn went to the med bay and injected himself with a stim. In a matter of seconds he felt alert and focussed.

Then he downloaded the ship's schematics and at the data on the _Fury's_ engine. Teava hadn't given him an assignment, but she certainly wouldn't object if he optimised the ship's performance.

A few hours later Quinn stood in the engine room and was checking the engine readouts after his optimisation. He allowed himself to smile as he saw the results: The thrusters now responded 0.09 seconds faster to the pilot's commands – at least according to these tests.

He heard steps closing in on him. He had no doubt that Teava was approaching him. Indeed she soon appeared in the doorway.

"Morning, Captain… I was wondering where you were." She wore casual black robes and held a cup of caf in her right hand. She looked stunning.

"My lord." He wanted to bow, but he stopped himself just in time. "I wanted to make sure that the ship is running at peak efficiency." Quinn hesitated; perhaps he should underline once again that he would be useful? "I am fully trained in all aspects of operating this vessel. I can both navigate and pilot – should you be in need of a pilot."

She tilted her head slightly. "Indeed I am. 2V and Vette have piloted the _Fury_ up until now. But I assume that your training was more extensive."

"You will find a thorough evaluation of my piloting skills in my file, I…"

Teava lifted her left hand and he immediately fell silent.

"You don't need to convince me, Quinn. I meant it when I said that you're an exceptional officer."

He felt himself blush. "Thank you my lord."

"Just one thing: Your demeanour makes me tense, work on loosening up."

Quinn stiffened at her words and almost stood at attention. "I see."

Thoughts raced through his head. How was he supposed to loosen up? What was her intention? Was this some kind of Sith mind game? Quinn decided to grasp the nettle.

"… actually, my lord, I don't see. Is that an order or are you testing my professionalism?"

Teava flashed a grin at him. "Oh, I'm going to get a kick out of you."

Quinn clenched his jaw, trying to stay calm but he couldn't help feeling slightly frightened at the thought that he had become a Sith's toy. Had Baras assigned him here so that his apprentice had some kind of amusement? Was his promotion nothing more than Sith entertainment?

"I hope to be of greater service than that, my lord," he said quietly, unable to keep the tension out of his voice.

"Of that I've no doubt," she said, taking a sip of her caf. "And if there are deficiencies you see or suggestions you have about my operations and mission, I want you to speak up."

Again he was confused about her mixed signals. At the same time he felt relieved that the conversation had returned to topics he was comfortable with.

"Yes, my lord, I will."


	3. The Scoundrel

Quinn met Vette at precisely 12:00 in the galley. She was eating soup slowly and looked utterly miserable. He replicated Alderaanian stew at sat down across from her.

"Drinking is so much fun, too bad that there are these side-effects." Vette grimaced and rubbed her temple.

"Ethanol poisoning – there are drugs in the med bay to counter its effects."

"Thank the Force! C'mon!" Vette stood up and looked at him expectantly when he didn't move.

"I just replicated a stew."

"But you have to save my life! I literally feel like I'm dying! Oh the pain!" she moaned while holding her head. "Pleeeeaasseee!"

Reluctantly, Quinn got up and followed her into the med bay. Vette lay down on the bedside and watched him rummaging through the drawers until he found the EtOH-blocker chemicals and mixed them together.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Vette asked when he finally prepared an injector.

"Yes, hold still."

Quinn gave her the shot and watched how Vette exhaled.

"Much better… where were you during my misspent youth, Quinn?"

"Can I now return to my stew?"

"Alright… since it now seems that I don't have to barf anymore, I might even finish my soup."

When they arrived in the galley, Teava was eating lunch as well.

"Guess what, Quinn cured my hang-over!" Vette squealed as soon as she saw Teava.

"It's not a cure…" began Quinn, but he was interrupted by Teava.

"So you are a medic as well? Good to know."

"My lord, I'm not a medic – I just acquired basic medical knowledge during my time on Balmorra."

"But you could still perform a full medical check-up, right? A very thorough check-up..." said Teava and winked at Quinn.

Before Quinn could even think of an answer Vette frowned at Teava and said: "Since Quinn saved me from a slow, agonising death, I will return the favour and just say it: You sound just like all these sleazy old men who used to 'flirt' with me on Nar Shaddaa, T."

Teava was taken aback and almost seemed hurt at Vette's words.

"No, I do not!"

"Yeah, you do. Trust me, girl. You need to work on your pick-up lines."

Quinn followed the whole exchange with astonishment, the way Vette talked would've cause any other Sith to behead her – but he was also relieved that Vette had taken up the task to save him from another awkward situation.

"I'm very smooth," pouted Teava.

Vette put her hand on Teava's and squeezed it a little. "I love you like a sister, but you're as smooth as a bantha on glitter-stim."

"Now you are exaggerating!"

"Maybe a little bit."

They laughed. Quinn felt completely out of place and wished he could simply leave, but he just continued to eat in silence.

ooOOoo

Nar Shaddaa was vulgar, shrill and feculent. The bright neon lights on the buildings and the flying ad droids almost instantly gave Quinn a migraine as he stepped out of the space port. The air was surprisingly humid and mouldy for such an urban planet.

"Man, it has been ages since I was last here – home sweet home." Vette took a deep breath. "Ugh, but at least the smell is the same."

Teava stood at the edge of the sidewalk and gestured a shuttle taxi to land. Vette and Quinn still stood next to the entrance of Mezenti Spaceport.

Quinn was slightly disgusted by the littered streets and the alien beggars who surrounded the taxi platform, but at the same time the planet felt _real_. It felt alive and vibrant despite all its flaws.

He checked his chronometer out of habit. It was 11:02 local time but the daylight was already dim. Quinn saw that Teava had found a taxi and began to walk toward the edge of the platform.

"How long did you live here, Vette?"

"About four years." She gestured in the north-eastern direction. "In the Nal district. And in case you wonder: It's not pretty there."

"Is there even a decent district on this planet?" He grimaced as he passed a passed a particularly nasty-smelling garbage pile.

"Of course there is. There are a lot of rich neighbourhoods – or do you think Hutts would build their fancy palaces on top of a scrapheap?"

Quinn didn't answer. What a chaotic and unorganised planet… it seemed that they didn't even have cleaning droids to dispose of all the filth. If the Empire would take over they would make sure that cleanliness and order would be installed – yes, Nar Shaddaa would of course be better off under imperial rule.

They had reached the shuttle taxi and boarded it.

Teava looked out of the window and said: "This planet is so exciting – it is literary soaked in the force! Ugh, but it's also so dirty and shady. How could you live here?"

Vette who sat on the back seat between Quinn and Teava crossed her arms. "Look, I know that you imperial types think that Nar Shaddaa is disgusting compared to the spot- and lifeless streets of Dromund Kaas, but at least here we could be free. I…" She broke off and glanced at Teava.

"Vette?" Teava turned her attention to Vette.

"Nothing, let's just get to our contact."

ooOOoo

When Darth Baras had introduced Halidrell Setsyn as his 'slave operative' on Nar Shaddaa Quinn hadn't pictured her to be such a crass example of a slave trader. Cells with slaves surrounded her office. The usual smell of Nar Shaddaa paled in comparison to the one in the slave pens.

Setsyn was a light-skinned, red-haired young human woman. She bowed when Teava entered.

"I'm at your service, my lord."

"Good," said Teava curtly. She didn't introduce Quinn or Vette nor herself.

"So you're here to take out Lord Rathari. Won't be easy, he usually just appears, devastates then disappears. You'll have to draw him out. He's been making some major power plays, and disrupting them will get his attention."

It seemed that Setsyn had come up with a decent plan. Quinn agreed with her strategy.

"You'd better be sure about that," snapped Teava.

"Of course, you ruin his business, he's gonna want to chop you into little bitty pieces." She explained how to disrupt an important business meeting between Hutts and Rathari's apprentice.

"Here are the coordinates for the meeting tomorrow. Good thing that Hutts are so easy to track," Setsyn grinned. "They never move without their luxury barge."

Teava checked the coordinates and showed them to Vette. "Are you familiar with that area?"

"Yeah, no problem, boss."

Setsyn frowned at her but didn't say anything. Instead, she to gestured one of the slaves not locked up in a cage. "You, bring our guests refreshments."

The male Rodian bowed and quickly brought glasses with something that looked like lemonade with crushed ice.

"Thank you," said Vette as she took a glass from the tray the Rodian was holding.

"Don't mind him, he can't answer. I cut out his tongue – there is no need for servants to talk anyway." Setsyn stared coldly at Vette and took a sip of the lemonade. "Delicious, isn't it?"

Vette looked as if she would pull her blasters and shoot Setsyn in the face, instead she just said. "I'm not thirsty," and put the glass back on the tray.

Teava drank the lemonade and put her glass back on the tray. Quinn hesitate for a moment, then followed her example.

ooOOoo

As soon as they had left Setsyn's office Teava suggested that they should eat something. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

"Alright, there is a decent cantina a short taxi ride from here," replied Vette. She sounded low-spirited.

As they walked to the nearest taxi platform, Quinn couldn't help but stare at Teava. She and Vette were walking in front of him; he followed her exactly two steps behind, like military protocol dictated. From his position, she saw her profile. She had – like most Purebloods – ridges on her jaw. The piercings reflected the neon lights of the street signs but her eyes outshone every light… she really was the epitome of the Empire's strength. Yes, she was so strong and… Quinn stopped his train of thought. No, he shouldn't even think that.

He was startled when Teava suddenly glanced over her shoulder and said with a grin: "Why are you walking behind us? Are you ashamed to be seen with two aliens?"

Vette shot him a nasty look.

Quinn shook his head. "I'm just following protocol, my lord. Imperial personnel should keep 1.50 meters distance between them and Sith lords."

Teava stopped and turned to face Quinn.

Vette continued staring at him, then she relaxed a little. "For real?" she asked.

"Enlighten me, Quinn; what else does protocol dictate?" Teava sounded amused.

Quinn clasped his hands behind his back and gabbed his left hand with his right. He stood in parade rest when he answered. "Imperial personnel may not talk to Sith lords until spoken to. Furthermore, soldiers have to obey every command from every Sith who has at least become an acolyte."

"Every command, hmm?" asked Teava and put her index finger on her lips. "Good to know."

"Wait, you didn't know about that?" Vette asked incredulously, looking from Quinn to Teava and back again.

"As a matter of fact I did not."

"Why wouldn't you know that? Didn't teach they teach you at Sith school about this stuff?"

Teava frowned. "No, now that you mention it… why don't I know about it?"

Quinn followed their conversation silently. He wasn't surprised that Sith weren't aware of military protocol: They were met with compliance, that was all that mattered to them in the end.

"Anyway, Quinn. There is no need for you to follow protocol, it's just the three of us." Teava smiled at him. Quinn heart leapt to his throat and grabbed his left hand a little harder.

"Yes, my lord," Quinn replied and indicated a bow. But he had no intention of letting go of protocol – for Teava they might be obsolete rites, but it was the only way he knew how to deal with Sith.

ooOOoo

The Cantina was rather quiet and had a wide array of dishes to offer. But Quinn had trouble understanding the menu – it was written in Basic, but the names of the ingredients were alien to him.

"What in the galaxy is a omyytopi-rashkala?" asked Teava with a frown.

Vette laughed and said with an air of superiority. "You're pronouncing it all wrong – it's pasta made from bog weed."

Teava grimaced.

Quinn cleared his throat. "I'm not familiar with the dishes, Vette. What do you recommend?"

"Ohhh… trust me, I will order the best!" Vette seemed now almost giddy with anticipation and waived at the waiter.

Before Teava nor Quinn could protest, she had already ordered in Huttese. He eyed the dish the waiter brought him suspiciously, but was pleasantly surprised when the dish turned out to be some kind of smoked salmon. For the past years he had to renounce fresh fish, since there were only military supply runs on Balmorra. The prospect of tasting salmon again after all this time was exhilarating.

Vette had ordered a nerf burger for herself and a filet for Teava.

Vette's mood improved further when the waiter put the food to the table. "Ah, this is so great! I love nerf burger!"

Teava smiled and began to eat slowly while Vette devoured the burger in a matter of minutes. She had already finished her food when Quinn was only halfway through his. He wasn't a gourmet but he took his time and took in the atmosphere in the cantina. A long time ago, he would've sniffed at the many alien customers – but now he simply observed them.

ooOOoo

The next day Teava made quick work of the cocky apprentice. Quinn was also impressed how she talked the Hutts into a deal with the Empire. Teava was a powerful Sith and it seemed that she was also a level-headed diplomat when needed. He caught himself staring at her again when they headed back to the _Fury_ to report to Baras. Quinn had met his share of fascinating women, but none of them compared to Teava… What was the matter with him? He forced himself to stop looking at her and turned his attention to Baras.

"… good my apprentice," droned Baras, "report to me once Rathari is dealt with."

Baras ended the holocall and as soon as his figure had vanished, Teava exhaled.

"What's up? Did the old man give you the creeps?" Vette asked cheekily.

Quinn frowned at the disrespectful words but didn't say anything.

"Don't you two feel this chill whenever he's talking?" Teava wrapped her arms around herself as if she tried to protect herself from coldness.

"Nope."

"No, my lord."

There was a grim expression on Teava's face before her face lightened up with a smile. "No matter, that doesn't need to concern you… you're dismissed, Vette."

"Yay! Time to get the replicator going – I need a Tarisian ale!" She rushed out of the room.

Teava stepped closer to Quinn. "I would like to spar with you, Captain."

He was taken aback and quickly reviewed if he had done something that warranted a punishment. Nothing came to mind.

"Yes my lord."

"Relax, I can literally feel your tension. I just want to assess your hand-to-hand combat skills." She led the way to the training room and removed her armour. Quinn took off his blaster holster, his belt and his jacket and made an effort to calm down. The prospect of sparring with a Sith was ridiculous - she would defeat him effortlessly. He folded his jacket neatly and turned to face her.

Teava stretched her arms. "I won't use the Force, and I expect you not to hold back."

Quinn didn't reply. He took a fighting stance with his fists raised.

Teava grinned at him and casually walked toward him; but from one moment to another her demeanour changed and she tried to hit him with a quick high kick.

Quinn blocked the kick with his forearms and tried to hit her with a fast counter jab. She elegantly dodged his fist and grabbed his arm. With a forceful throw she let him crash on the durasteel floor. Quinn groaned as the pain shot through his back, but he got back on his feet just in time to block another kick. He took a step back and put some distance between them. She was way faster than him, but her attacks showed that she relied more on her kicks than her punches, although they were slightly slower and required more energy. Her reflexes were superior – the only hope to hit her was to feign an attack and to surprise her. Quinn practised the standard military combat moves like every other soldier, but his kicks had always been weaker than his punches. But Teava didn't know that.

He stepped closer and shifted his weight on his supporting leg. Teava immediately lifted her arms to bring them into position to block his kick, but Quinn shifted his weight again and quickly lunged at her. She easily parried a weak jab, but his forceful right hook almost made contact with her jaw. But Teava sidestepped his attack and punched him directly in his face. For a moment he saw bright light dancing in front of his eyes and he stumbled back, tasting blood in his mouth.

"That's enough," Teava said. She smiled at him. Quinn registered that she wasn't even breathing hard, while he was panting.

"I'm pleasantly surprised, Captain. Although there is room of improvement of course."

"Yes, my lord."

"Go clean yourself up and report to me in my quarters as soon as possible." She turned on her heel and strode out of the training room.

Quinn grabbed his belongings and headed for the refresher before he stopped at the med bay to vet the bruise in his face. Mere minutes later he knocked at her door and as soon as he heard her say "enter" he let the door slide open and stepped into her rooms.

Up until now he hadn't the time to think why she wanted to see him in her private quarters, but as the door slid shut behind him he tensed up. First she had sparred with him and now she wanted a private conversation with him? Was she looking for reasons to get rid of him? Had she deemed him unfit to be in her services? Suddenly he felt sick; was she going to send him back to Balmorra? Everything but this – he couldn't –

"Do you know why I want to talk to you?" asked Teava.

"My lord – I assume you want to speak about my performance in the field as well as in the training room. I can assure you that I will work tirelessly to earn my place in your crew." He registered that he did sound a tad desperate.

She shook her head. "This isn't about your work performance, Quinn. Your assessments were flawless and your file suggests that you have a lot of potential." Teava paused. "The reason I wanted to talk to you is that I thrive on passion as any Sith – and find you very attractive."

Quinn felt heat crawl up his cheeks while he tried to process what he had heard.

"My lord…"

"I wouldn't be this straight-forward if I hadn't sensed the way you look at me." She stepped very close to him and smiled. "From what I gather, the attraction is mutual."

"I … I'm sorry my lord. I'm aware that my station …" Quinn stammered.

"I don't care about your station. Tell me that you aren't interested and we will never speak of this again – I promise you that I won't hold it against you."

He wanted to protest, to tell her that it wouldn't be appropriate for him to even touch her, but she stood so close that he could smell her scent. Her yellow eyes radiated warmth and lust. His sight fell on her inviting dark lips and he felt his breath quicken. Before he could stop himself, he took a small step forward. Their faces were now mere centimetres away from each other. Suddenly she grabbed him by the utility belt he wore across his chest and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Quinn's lingering doubt was silenced at once.


	4. The Lover

With a jolt Quinn woke up and realised that he had fallen asleep in Teava's bed. He propped himself up on his elbows and saw that she was sitting next to him, holding a data pad. They were both still naked.

"I'm sorry that I fell…" he began, but she interrupted him.

"You look cute when you're asleep, Quinn." She casually ran her hand through his hair and continued reading.

Quinn sat up as well, he felt embarrassed and wanted to cover himself up, but he didn't dare. This had been the best time in a decade – and yet he regretted it. He had failed, he had become Teava's toy and she hadn't even tried that hard. The best chance to finally achieve something and he had been too weak. Soon she would tire of him.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked cautiously, waiting for a sign of her scorn.

She looked up from the pad and let her gaze wander over his body. "Nope, you can stay if you want."

Quinn wasn't sure what would be the wise course of action after his … lapse. They had enjoyed it immensely but Quinn still felt that he was out of his depth. Why she had deigned to consort with him? He was only a common soldier after all. A failed common soldier at that, he reminded himself. No, that was a wrong assumption. Teava had said it herself, she thrived on passion and he was the only available candidate at the moment – that was all.

From the corner of his eye he looked at her; Teava was scrolling down on her data pad and wasn't looking at him anymore. Even in the dimmed down light of her quarters she looked as beautiful as ever and despite his brooding Quinn suddenly wished that he could kiss her again. A tender kiss that – no, their moment of passion was over now, it would be presumptuous to even think that he was allowed to initiate intimacy.

He slowly got up and when she questioningly looked at him, Quinn said: "I'm going to take a shower and return to my duties, my lord."

"Okay," she said and turned her attention again on her reading.

Quinn awkwardly gathered his clothing from the floor, put them on hastily and left.

ooOOoo

After the shower Quinn headed for the galley – he needed some tea to calm down. Absentmindedly, he put some herbal leaves into a tea egg and dunked it in the hot water. He had to think of something … how was he supposed to salvage the situation? His thoughts returned to Teava, and as soon as her mental image resurfaced in front of his inner eye, he felt the urge to touch her again. The kisses they had exchanges had been rough and wild, but he – no, he had to stop it!

Quinn rubbed his temples and watched how the hot water slowly turned green. Damn it, had he really fallen in love with her? This was just like back then on Dromund Kaas with Eevi. Quinn sighed. There was no sense in lying to himself, he wanted to be with Teava – Lord Teava, he corrected himself.

He pulled the tea egg out of the cup and took a sip. What was he supposed to do?

Suddenly, he heard tiny steps behind him and when he turned he saw a small red gizka looking at him. The creature tilted his head and purred.

Vette quickly strode into the room and picked the gizka up. "There you are, you little rascal!" She petted it and gave it a peck before she set her sights on Quinn.

"Oh … hi there!"

"Is this animal your pet?" asked Quinn with a frown. "It's against navy regulations to keep vermin on board an Imperial ship."

Vette grabbed the gizka a little harder. "Really? And is there also a rule against banging your Sith superior?"

Quinn felt how he turned red. "H… How…"

"I guessed that not even a finicky Imp like you would shower twice in a matter of a few hours." Vette grinned. "And you just confirmed it."

Hot shame burned in Quinn's face and he had to avert his gaze. Damn it, now he was certainly the laughing stock for the rest of the journey.

"Why are you all flustered? Come on – it was bound to happen the way T drooled over you. Geez, are you really such a prude? Or are you shocked that you did it with an alien?"

Up until the last question Quinn had stared in his tea cup, but now he lifted his gaze and hissed: "Lord Teava is _not_ an alien! She is a Pureblood! It's me who's…" he stopped in mid-sentence. Then he continued in a calmer tone. "Her blood is much purer than mine and she is a Sith."

Vette put the gizka on the floor and crossed her arms. "So, let me get this straight – you're moping around because a woman who's out of your league wanted to have sex with you?" She scoffed. "Yeah, I can see your problem."

Quinn banged his cup on the counter. "You have no idea what is was like on Balmorra! Ten years I was stuck on that damn planet! I can't go back! I can't take it!" he almost yelled.

"Balmorra? What has that to do with anything?"

He bit on his lip – he had said too much, but it was too late to turn back. "She will tire of me and if she does she might send me back."

To his surprise Vette started to laugh. "Oh, this is… you're such an idiot! Instead of enjoying a good thing you complain." She stopped laughing, and nudged him. "What's the worst that could happen? That she would want to get rid of you? So what? You'll live and even if you should end up on some hellish planet, what good does it you to fear all this horrible stuff now?"

Quinn's first impulse was to contradict her – but then it fell like krayt dragon scales from his eyes: Vette was right! There was no sense in letting his fear paralyze him, why hadn't he seen that before? Had the time on Balmorra been so scarring, so mind-numbing?

"I … I think you could be right, Vette."

"You're welcome. So we have a deal, right?"

Quinn blinked in confusion. "Deal?"

"Yeah, I gave you a good piece of advice and you let me keep Chester?" Vette looked around, but the gizka was nowhere to be seen.

Chester? Who in their right mind would name their pet like that? Quinn sighed. "I guess I can overlook this one breach in regulations."

"And you won't tell T about him?"

Quinn almost threw his arms in the air. "What? She doesn't know?"

"I found it yesterday in the spaceport rummaging through the garbage – I don't think that she will be thrilled about it."

"Vette! This creature could have all kinds of diseases!"

Vette just gave him a lopsided grin. "Nah, he's fine!"

"You have to tell her! At least lock it into the cargo bay!"

"Yeah, yeah, I will. Now where is my baby…" she walked out in the corridor and began to call her pet.

Quinn picked up his tea and took a sip. His thoughts returned to his dilemma. That was the solution; he would just continue doing his job – he could rely on his skills. That was the only thing he could do: He had to convince Teava of his usefulness. It was out of his hands now (not that it had ever been in his hands to be honest), there was no point in overthinking it.

ooOOoo

In the morning Teava told them in the conference room that she had received a nightly call from Setsyn.

Vette grimaced, but didn't say anything.

"Rathari is apparently getting angry; he contacted Setsyn and dared us to meet him face-to-face." Teava looked pleased with herself. "Just as planned."

Indeed everything was going as Setsyn had predicted, but it was too easy. Quinn recalled what he had read in Agent Dellocon's file: cunning, highly intelligent, a seasoned agent who had been part of Baras' spy network for almost two decades.

Quinn rubbed his chin. Were he in Dellocon's position he would strongly advice Rathari against an open exchange of blows. But would the Sith listen?

"My lord, might I offer you tactical advice?" he asked in a firm voice.

"Fire away," said Teava with a smile.

Quinn ignored what this smile cause in him and cleared his throat. "We should consider the possibility that Rathari is setting a trap; given Agent Dellocon's track record I calculate a high probability that they will attack at a different place to weaken Darth Baras's operations on Nar Shaddaa. It's standard intelligence procedure to cover the primary mission by a ruse."

Teava leaned back in her chair. "But isn't it their primary objective to stop me?"

Quinn hesitated only a moment. "While you're a formidable opponent, it has always been Rathari's goal to increase his power base – I assume that's why he began to work with Dellocon in the first place."

"Sounds plausible," Vette said, "but what do they really want to attack?"

Quinn shook his head. "I don't know, Darth Baras has many operatives on Nar Shaddaa. It could be any of them."

"No, not any of them." Teava got up and began to pace back and forth. "It's not an intelligence agent we're dealing with – Rathari is a Sith. While he might listen to Dellocon, he also wants to show that he's stronger than Baras. So he will target Baras's most important operation. That would be the slave trade."

"But that's risky – Setsyn's place is well guarded," objected Vette.

"Yes, but imagine how much prestige Rathari would gain if he dealt a blow against Baras's most lucrative business. I'm beginning to think that Quinn is right – we should tell Setsyn at once to fortify her office and the slave pits." Teava stopped behind Quinn and put her hand on his shoulder. "Good job."

Quinn did his best to appear stoic and simply nodded.

"We will go to the meeting as planned. Be prepared for anything."

ooOOoo

Rathari and Dellocon waited for them on an abandoned street in the Corellian Sector. Quinn noted with surprise that they both had shown up – had he been wrong about his assessment? It seemed reckless to bring the agent to the meeting.

Rathari was a tall, pale-skinned cyborg, his strangely metallic voice greeted them when they walked closer.

"Ah, you showed. You lack your master's caution; I applaud that." His lips curled to a cruel smile as he addressed the man beside him. "Dellocon, Baras's lackey is here. So say your piece, and do it before I kill this would-be assassin."

"There is nothing to say – I don't share your flare for dramatics," snapped Dellocon. "Kill her already."

"I agree with him," mocked Teava. "Kill me already – if you can that is."

"Yeah, skip the speech – we've all heard it before. You are the biggest and baddest Sith there is etcetera etcetera," Vette butted in.

Quinn was taken aback; he had been on countless battlefields but never had he witnessed such a nonchalance in the face of danger. Was it all bravado or was Vette really not worried at all? Teava might not find it worrisome to face Rathari, but non-force-users should always be wary when fighting Sith or Jedi.

"I will not be mocked by the likes of you," Rathari yelled, then he began to Force-choke Vette, lifting her up in the air as she tried to pry the invisible hands from her throat.

Teava quickly lunged at Rathari and when he had to parry her strike, he let go of Vette. She fell hard on the floor and coughed while Teava force-pushed Dellocon out of the way and entered a heated battle with Rathari.

Quinn kept an eye out for other combatants and knelt down beside Vette. At first scan her larynx seemed intact and so he quickly headed to Dellocon and held him at gunpoint.

A scream and a smell of burnt flesh made him jerk his head around. Teava had cut Rathari's left leg from under him. The Sith lay on the street, screaming curses. With one quick stab through his chest, she silenced him.

Vette rose to her feet and approached Quinn and Dellocon. She glanced at Rathari's corpse and grimaced while holding her throat.

"Asshole," she whispered in a coarse voice.

"You should know that it is dangerous to provoke a Sith," said Teava.

Vette just continued to rub her neck and didn't respond.

"That damn fool!" Dellocon got slowly up and faced Teava. "Let's get over it."

"Not so fast – I'm curious, this was a rather blunt approach for a man like you. Why?"

"Because of his bloody Sith arrogance! He was so certain that he would best you that he didn't even bother to listen to me!" Dellocon angrily replied.

"Thank you." Teava beheaded Dellocon with one swift movement of her lightsaber. The headless body fell with a loud thud on the ground, while the head landed about two meters away.

Quinn and Vette recoiled and took a step back.

Teava smiled at them. "What?"

"Sometimes I forget how cold-blooded you are," cawed Vette.

Quinn had to tear his sight away from Dellocon's head and felt the need to admit his failings. "My lord – I apologize for my miscalculation. I overestimated Rathari."

"Don't apologize, Quinn. You heard the man – Dellocon had indeed planned something; only Rathari's stupidity prevented his plan."

Quinn bowed. "Yes my lord."

ooOOoo

The galaxy map in the cockpit of the _Fury_ painted everything in a bright blue light. Quinn was hunched over it. He was plotting the course for their next mission – Darth Baras had been very pleased when Teava reported the success of her mission. Now they had to track down the Padawan who caused this purge. According to Baras's sources, the Padawan was born on Alderaan.

There were several routes to the planet but which one was the most efficient? He was calculating the usage of fuel and the distance when Vette stepped into the cockpit.

"Hey, we're heading to the cantina for a drink."

Quinn looked up, and wasn't sure what to make of her statement. "Er… good." He continued to calculate – there wasn't much of a difference –

"Aren't you coming?"

Taken aback he stopped again. Quinn put the pad down and straightened his jacket to win a little time – his first impulse was to tell her that he had work to do, after all he had to prepare for their departure. But after a moment's hesitation he surprised himself when he said: "Be right there."

ooOOoo

This cantina was quite different from the one they had first visited on Nar Shaddaa: It was sleazy, filled with loud music and a sweating, dancing crowd. The air was hot and muggy; within minutes Quinn's uniform was glued to his body – it was as if he were in a steam bath.

Vette and Teava had already gulped down two drinks and were dancing together on the dancefloor. Quinn stood by the bar and still held his first, now lukewarm, drink in a hard grip.

He let his gaze wander over the masses and felt completely out of place. At the same time, he felt strangely relaxed. The loud music and the heavy air made him feel numb and tired.

Quinn stared at Teava. She was shaking her head to the beat; she seemed strangely bumbling compared to the way she gracefully moved when she was fighting. Vette on the other hand was almost elegant in her movements. They were both laughing. For a fleeting moment he wished that he could join them, but the very thought made him almost flinch: He would look ridiculous.

What was he doing here anyway? He realised that he had vaguely hoped that they would talk and that he could – could do what? Tell them about the history of Taris? He almost scoffed. By the stars, he really was a bore. Quinn took a sip of his drink and checked his chronometer. 01:23 local time.

"You're right – it's late!" Teava yelled right in front of him.

Quinn hadn't heard her approaching, which wasn't surprising given the noise level, and twitched when he saw her.

"As you say my lord!" he yelled back.

"You want to go back? Already?" screamed Vette next to them. It seemed that she had shaken off Rathari's attack.

"The next mission is waiting!"

"Aw crap!"

ooOOoo

Quinn's ears were still ringing from the music when they reached the _Fury_ about an hour later.

"I can't believe that we're already home!" moaned Vette. "Sleep is overrated!"

"We will talk again in the morning," Teava said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm taking another beer from the galley!" Vette started humming and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.

Quinn was about to go to his quarters when Teava stepped closer and let her hand glide over his shoulder down to his arm.

"Are you up for some training, Quinn?" she asked seductively.

She didn't wait for his answer and pulled him into a kiss. Quinn had been tired, but her touch electrified him. Teava let go of him and looked at him with an expectant expression on her face.

"Permission to kiss you my lord?" Quinn quietly asked.

"Permission granted, Captain."

ooOOoo

They were lying next to each other, still panting a little. Quinn took her right hand and kissed it softly.

Teava chuckled. "Perhaps you shouldn't look too close at my hand."

Quinn caressed her hand with his fingers, massaging it tenderly. "Why not?"

"My hands are my tools, my weapons – they aren't pretty."

He lifted her hand closer to his face. Teava's fingers had calluses, her nails were short and cracked. On the back of her hand was a prominent vein. When he let his fingertips wander along the palm of her hand, he felt that it was rough.

Quinn looked her in the eye and kissed the hand again.

Teava smiled and caressed his cheek with her left hand. "Did you have many lovers?"

He continued stroking her hand and returned her smile. "No."

"Why not?"

"It's simply not something I … I was in a relationship for a couple of years, before Druckenwell."

"What happened?"

Quinn let go of her hand. "I was demoted and she was sensible enough to move on."

"I see."

They were silent for a few moments.

"Don't you want to ask me about my lovers?" inquired Teava.

"I would rather not," Quinn replied quietly.

She laughed. "Why in the galaxy not?"

For a moment he was tempted to say 'it reminds me too much how little time I have with you' but he pulled himself together and said: "I'm not interested in the past, I prefer the present."

"Fair enough." She got up from the bed. "I'm going to the refresher."

Teava grabbed a dark robe from a cupboard and put it on. She turned to face Quinn and smiled at him. "You can stay the night if you want."

" … gladly."

She left for the refresher and Quinn stood up. He collected his clothes from the floor and started to fold them neatly. The prospect of spending the night with Teava made him truly happy – he had enjoyed lying beside her, kissing her hand. By the stars, he really had fallen in love with her! Quinn put the clothes on a chair next to the bed and sat down at the end of it. For a moment he felt scared; it would … hurt when she was going to leave him. Then he remembered Vette's words – there was no point in dreading something that hasn't happened yet, instead he should enjoy it as long as possible.

Should he tell her that he had feelings for her? No, that would be too importunate and precipitous. Quinn started to fold his clothes again. Perhaps he should've told her that he thought that her hands were beautiful? He didn't have to tell her that he had fallen for her, he could just compliment her.

On second thought – Teava certainly knew how breathtaking she was, and complimenting someone always implied that one is a position to validate someone by telling them that they were smart, powerful, stunning … and he was way below her. It would be presumptuous.

Quinn sat down on the bed again and checked his chronometer: 3:05. Soon he had to return to his duties, he still had reports to prepare.

In this moment Teava returned, she still wore her robe and rubbed her wet hair with a towel. "Your turn."

Before he could stop himself, Quinn had already muttered: "Yes, my lord."

"I wonder how many times we have to sleep together before you start using my name," chuckled Teava.

Quinn didn't know how to respond, so he quickly put on his underwear and hurried into the refresher outside of Teava's quarters.

On his way back to Teava's quarters Quinn stopped at his locker in the crew quarters and took a set of fresh clothes with him – luckily Vette was already sleeping, otherwise she would certainly made some titillating awkward comments.

When he entered Teava's room she was already asleep, a data pad had fallen out of her hand and the lights were still burning. Quinn placed the fresh clothes next to the bed, and slid out of the towel he had wrapped around his waist. Then he quickly put on his pyjama pants and started to put out the lights. Finally he picked up the data pad and put it on the bedside table.

Quinn returned to the other side of the bed slipped with care in and was relieved to register that Teava was still sleeping. She had her back turned to him, Quinn moved closer until he could feel her body heat.

His thoughts returned to his musing from before. Perhaps there was a way to tell her how much he admired her without having to resort to flattery? Her beauty and greatness were, after all, not something subjective; they were facts. Yes, he could write a comprehensive report about her – or perhaps only about her hands? Argue (with facts of course) that her hands were pretty. Quinn liked the idea – it was a foolproof way to show her that he cared about her and there was no danger of an awkward impulsive compliment. He could work on the report until it was perfect!

He snuggled himself slowly into her back and kissed her neck. She didn't wake up.


	5. The Kiss

There were few planets Quinn actually liked. Usually they were too hot or too cold, but Alderaan turned out to be a beautiful planet with a temperate climate. The inhabitants proved to be more civilised than most, but then again they were exceedingly arrogant.

Duke Kendoh just snorted when Teava introduced herself as Darth Baras's apprentice.

"What …? You're not on my schedule. I don't appreciate being interrupted. Although … you are a pretty one, aren't you?"

"Oh boy," muttered Vette, standing next to Quinn.

"I'm not pretty, I'm deadly," hissed Teava. "You will show me the proper respect a Sith deserves, or I will end you!"

Kendoh was clearly not used to threats of violence. He gulped and said quickly: "It seems I may have been hasty regarding your master's needs. How can I make amends?"

"My master wants information on a young Alderaanian girl who was taken off-planet to train with Jedi Master Nomen Karr."

"Very well, I will gather all necessary information – I will call you as soon as I have the information."

Teava turned on her heel and left Duke Kendoh's office without looking back.

Vette and Quinn followed her. She didn't stop until they were outside the building.

"Stars! One would think that a so-called ally of the Empire would at least have the decency to do my bidding without threats!"

"Yeah, what's the galaxy coming to – people not shaking in their boots when a Sith approaches!" Vette chimed in. "Disgusting!"

Teava gave her a puzzled look. "Sometimes I don't know whether you're joking or not."

"Really?" Vette asked, while staring at a thranta flying above their heads. "Wait a moment! Is someone riding these things?"

Quinn followed her gaze. "Thrantas have been domesticated on Bespin and Alderaan for millennia. Due to the high mountains, they have been the only means of transportation before the technology enabled the people to use airships. Yet they maintained the use of…" he interrupted himself. "I'm sorry my lord, I didn't mean to ramble."

"Please continue," Teava said with a smile.

"Just tell me if we can ride them too!" Vette sounded excited.

"They are a status symbol. Only noble families are allowed due to ancient law to breed them. I don't think we can rent one."

"But Duke Kendoh certainly has one! T, you have to order him to give it to us for a ride!"

"Let's see if the opportunity presents itself," Teava replied.

ooOOoo

They continued their way through Thul City. The buildings were constructed from white synthstone and fitted beautifully into the snow-covered mountain landscape. The streets were spotless. On every corner was a droid cleaning something or tending to the numerous flowers and bushes decorating the walkways. Small groups of people gathered around fountains in squares.

"It's so peaceful, boring and quiet here that it makes my skin crawl," remarked Tavea.

"It only appears that way because the Alderaanians value appearances. There is a war going on against the natives – an insectoid species called Killiks," Quinn said.

"I wonder what the outskirts of the town look like?" Vette crossed her arms. "Or the slave districts."

Quinn shook his head. "There is officially no slavery on Alderaan; only serfdom."

Vette scoffed. "What's the difference?"

"Well, slavery could be defined as –," Quinn began.

"I think it was a rhetorical question, Quinn," Teava interjected.

He paused, cleared his throat and said: "I see."

"Let's head back to the _Fury_ and wait for Kendoh to deliver us the information," Teava said.

ooOOoo

Quinn was reading up on the newest political developments on Alderaan while updating the navigational computer, when Vette suddenly burst into the cockpit.

"You need to check on Chester! He is pale and is just lying in his cage without moving!"

He stared at her disbelievingly. "You want me to check on a _gizka_? That's hardly the best use of my time – I have work to do."

"I scanned him, but I don't understand the readouts." She blinked a few times. "Come on, don't be a jerk! Please!"

Seeing Vette so agitated surprised him. "Vette … you got him from a garbage heap, he's probably got a disease. You can buy a new one with a clean bill of health in any pet shop."

Vette clenched her fists. "You don't get it, you stupid Imp! Chester is _my_ pet – I found him and I will keep him! If you don't want to help me – fine! Asshole!" She turned on her heel and briskly walked away.

Quinn sighed and got up slowly. He went into the med bay and got a scanner and some antibiotics.

He found Vette in the cargo room. She had Chester wrapped up in a blanket and was trying to feed him a greenish mash. When she heard Quinn enter she glanced over her shoulder, relief apparent on her face.

Quinn knelt down and began to scan the animal. Chester purred weakly. He was indeed pale; his red scaly skin had turned almost orange.

"Since I'm not a veterinarian, I'm not sure – but according to the scans he has an iron deficiency. What did you feed him?"

"Mostly leftovers from my dinner and some salat."

"I will give him iron supplements. Try to feed him more cabbage and spinach. I assume you haven't let him out of the cargo room?"

"No, I – I haven't told T about him. I plan to but …"

"But what?" asked Teava. Quinn lifted his gaze and saw her standing in the doorway of the cargo room.

Vette got on her feet, still holding Chester in her arms. "I'm sorry T, I just thought that you wouldn't let me keep him."

Teava looked at first taken aback but then her face darkened. "So instead of just asking me, you just kept a pet behind my back?" A trace of anger was clearly audible in her voice.

Vette flinched at her sharp tone and took a step back. Vette's reaction seemed to shock Teava; her frown disappeared instantly and another expression appeared on her face – was it sadness? Quinn wasn't sure.

"Vette – are you afraid of me?" Teava quietly asked.

Vette licked her lips; she seemed nervous. "Maybe a little?"

"Oh, Vette – I would never hurt you."

"Not intentionally, but you are still a Sith. You cut people's heads off without hesitation and order people around who are subject to you." Vette began to stroke Chester, she seemed calmer now. "If you told me to get rid of Chester, I would have to comply. Because I can't say no, cuz I'm in no position to defy you."

Teava now looked hurt. "But I thought we were friends."

"We are, but you and I aren't on the same level. You have all the power while I have none. I have no connections, no money and no family. But Chester is mine, I found him and I care for him – so please let me keep him."

"I – I didn't realise that this was still an issue after Korriban." Teava drew nearer and put her hand on Vette's shoulder. "Of course you can keep Chester."

"I'm sorry that I didn't ask you." Vette smiled sadly at Teava.

"You know that you can leave anytime, right? You are not my slave, not anymore."

"Oh T – where would I go? This is the best gig I've ever got. And besides … you would be lost without me."

"Of course I would be," Teava said in an earnest voice. Then she turned her attention to Quinn. "I'm surprised at you Captain – to think that you didn't report Chester to me right away."

Quinn almost snapped at attention. "My lord, I apologize for my neglect –," but he was interrupted by Vette.

"I asked him to say nothing."

Teava's eyebrow rose. "Really? And you listened to her, Quinn?"

"Yes, my lord." He felt queasy, and was insecure how Teava would react.

"Good call," Teava nodded approvingly, "Please continue your diagnosis."

Quinn had to compose himself for a moment before he could address the issue of Chester's health again. "It's possible that he's also suffering from vitamin D deficiency. He needs sunlight or daylight to produce vitamin D – perhaps you should let him out, take him uh, for a walk."

Vette beamed at Quinn. "Thanks!"

"Perhaps you could abstain from call me an 'asshole' when asking me for a favour the next time." Quinn said dryly.

"I will think about it!" laughed Vette and ran out of the cargo room with Chester in her arms.

ooOOoo

Hours later, Kendoh called by holo. He had only managed one solid lead on the Padawan. "According to my sources Nomen Karr visited House Alde, Lady Renata Alde to be exact. Her handmaiden left soon after Karr's visit – she could be the Padawan you're looking for."

"Good. Have this Lady Renata questioned," replied Teava.

Kendoh cleared his throat. "She won't talk to me or my emissaries. And I can't force her – she is protected by a Jedi."

"Send me the coordinates. She will talk to me – I can be very persuasive."

"Right away, my lord. I hope my efforts won't be forgotten."

Teava frowned. "Of course not." She ended the call.

Vette sat on a small couch next to the holocommunicator eating an Alderaanian muffin with white frosting. "You realise that this could get real messy, right?"

"I know, but we have to find this Padawan."

Quinn checked his data pad. "My lord, while House Alde is a small player on Alderaan, it is affiliated with House Organa. I assume the Jedi protecting Lady Renata was sent by the Organas."

Teava rubbed her chin. "Why is Renata so important to the Organas? Or to the Jedi for that matter?"

"Perhaps Nomen Karr suspects that we're looking for his Padawan?" Vette ate the last piece of the muffin. "He and his Jedi buddies are trying to stop us from finding out more."

"Alderaanian politics are multi-layered and alliances sometimes reach back centuries. I can't predict the outcome of this mission or the motivations of the involved players," Quinn said. Only after he had spoken he realised that he had broken protocol by speaking out of turn.

Teava didn't seem to mind. "There is only way to find out – gear up everyone."

ooOOoo

The sun was already setting when they finally arrived on House Alde's acreage with a shuttle. Teava checked the direction with her wrist holo-map and began to march to the south-east.

"So, what's the plan?" Vette asked.

"We will talk our way in. We would need an army to breach the perimeter," replied Teava. "Luckily I read Quinn's report on Alderaanian etiquette just a few hours ago."

Quinn was pleasantly surprised to hear that – he had compiled several papers on Alderaan when they were on route to the planet. He wasn't sure, however, if his reports were useful to Teava.

Mere minutes later, they reached the gates of House Alde. Quinn tensed up as he saw heavily armed guards approaching them.

"Halt! State your name and your business!" barked a tall armoured soldier. She trained her blaster rifle at Teava.

"I'm Lord Teava, and these are my companions Vette and Captain Quinn of the Imperial Navy. We have lost our way and seek shelter for the night."

Quinn couldn't see the soldier's face due to her helmet, but her voice sounded surprised: "You are lost? I – wait here." She took a few steps back and started to whisper into her wrist-com.

"Really? This is your great plan?" Vette asked quietly.

"Please, it's brilliant," Teava replied. "Their archaic etiquette dictates that they have to shelter lost wanderers. And despite all their back-stabbing, the nobles are still bound to it. Refusing hospitality is a grave offense."

Quinn stared at her in awe – she was indeed brilliant. By the stars, he wanted to kiss her right now!

The soldier returned, this time she had her blaster rifle lowered. "Lady Renata will grant you shelter for the night, Sith."

"Splendid!" Teava exclaimed with a broad grin.

ooOOoo

They were led into the estate, into the main house. A brunette light-skinned human woman in an intricate dress welcomed them with a bow. By her side stood a green-skinned Nautolan in a brown robe.

"I welcome to into House Alde, Lord Teava. I'm Lady Renata, the mistress of this estate."

Teava mirrored her bow. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Renata."

"Lady Renata, it's unwise…" began the Nautolan, but one sharp look from Renata silenced him.

"I apologize for Master Drinred."

"Of course," Teava said, giving Drinred her sweetest smile. The Jedi frowned. "May I present Captain Quinn and Vette?"

They both bowed.

"Dinner is about to be served, Lord Teava – my servants will show you your rooms so you can refresh yourselves."

"You have my gratitude." Teava bowed again.

ooOOoo

The dinner turned out to be an elaborate eight course menu with local specialities. Luckily Quinn recalled the dining etiquette from his officer's training. Vette seemed a little overwhelmed by all the different forks, knives and glasses, while Teava – of course – effortlessly made light conversation while elegantly eating Alderaanian snails.

"Ah yes, I do love hunting parties. If you ever find yourself in Imperial space you should come to Dromund Kaas. My family has a hunting cabin in the jungles just outside Kaas City – a vine cat pelt would fit nicely in your collection."

Lady Renata seemed almost mesmerized by Teava. She attentively listened and inquired about the social structure in the Sith Empire. "How interesting – does every Sith family have their own hunting grounds?"

Quinn glanced at Vette, who was struggling with the snails. She seemed frustrated and didn't manage to clamp them with the appropriate pincers. He waited until she looked at him with a desperate gaze and then he silently demonstrated how to jam the snails and how to use the fork to pull the food out of the shell. Vette imitated him and finally managed to eat a snail.

"No, only the old families – but of course that can change quickly. A powerful young Sith might find themselves quickly rising through the ranks – and with great power comes great wealth."

Renata nodded. "I see. How about you, Captain Quinn – has your family a long history in the Imperial military?"

"Yes my lady. The Quinn family has served in the navy for almost five centuries."

"Ah, I assume that you have an estate of your own?"

"No, my lady. But service is its own reward."

Teava smiled at him and Quinn almost smiled back.

"You are so silent, Master Jedi," Teava said, taking a sip of her red wine. "Tell me, wouldn't you agree with Captain Quinn?"

Quinn shifted in his seat and took a sip of his wine. He didn't like where this conversation was leading.

Drinred nodded. "Of course, service is its own reward." He hesitated for a short moment. "Money and power shouldn't be the motivators for one's life. There should be more meaning to one's actions."

Teava grinned in satisfaction and Quinn realised that Drinred had just insulted Renata.

"Perhaps we should change the subject," Renata said with an icy tone in her voice.

Drinred nodded. His neutral expression didn't betray whether he realised what he had done.

Servants cleared the table and brought another course: roasted flutterplume with asparagus. Vette rubbed her hands together and seemed excited.

"Tell me about your family, Lady Renata," Teava said.

Renata was flattered and began to talk at length about her ancestors. Shortly after dessert, she excused herself for a moment and left the room.

Drinred put his fingertips together and gazed at Teava. "Interesting strategy, Sith. Your kind usually only uses violence – but I will stay vigilant nonetheless."

"Whatever serves my purpose, Master Drinred – at least I'm not a hypocrite."

"Hypocrite?"

"Well, of course – your order pretends to serve the people, but in the end you are only narcissists who look down on everybody who doesn't follow your dogma. You despise weak morals and flawed people, whereas I understand them."

Drinred remained completely calm. "I disagree. You assume that we don't know ourselves, that we are naïve – but it's because we have seen the darkness that we abide by our principles. In face of chaos and uncertainty there has to be something absolute to hold onto."

"And here I thought that only Sith dealt in absolutes." Teava grinned "A pity that we can't discuss this further."

Renata stepped into the dining room and they continued the small talk.


	6. The Cunctator

Quinn had to admit that Lady Renata - or whoever decorated the rooms - had a good taste. The small room was outfitted with elegant, wooden furniture. The tapestries were made from Rodian silk and the curtains from green shimmersilk.

He wasn't entirely sure what Teava's plan was – it seemed difficult to coax any useful information out of Renata as long as the Jedi was by her side. And they had to leave in the morning.

Quinn remembered Renata's question about his family. His father had died years ago and he had no siblings. After his demotion, he had lost touch with his mother – right after Druckenwell he had written her every month, but she hardly replied. Her answers were unaccommodating and curt; she didn't hide the fact that she was disappointed in him. After a while he stopped writing her. But now he pulled his data pad from his utility belt and wrote a brief note that he was off Balmorra and in the service of a Sith lord. Then he continued writing his report on Teava's hands – the beginning was still drab or at least inelegant. A short chronological history on the culture of hands might be better. He logged into the databanks of the Imperial library and downloaded several publications on the matter.

A knock on the door interrupted his work, Quinn glanced at his chronometer: 22:49 local time. He got up from the corner of the bed he was sitting on and opened the door. Teava brushed past him and let herself fall on his bed.

Quinn was pleasantly surprised and smiled at her; even in the short time he had been alone he had missed her presence. To think that she had sought him out –

"Have you checked your room for bugs?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Mission accomplished. I questioned a servant who attended me: The Padawan's name is Jaesa Willsaam and she left shortly after Nomen Karr."

Quinn was astonished – Teava was really amazing! "You really expedited things, my lord. Darth Baras will be very pleased." Then he realised that she didn't call on him for his company but for the mission and his joy dimmed a little. "Did the interrogation go well or do you need me to clean up?"

Teava stretched herself and groaned. "No need – I used Force persuasion. He doesn't even remember telling me everything. Renata probably doesn't even remember her handmaiden anymore; servants and slaves become invisible to their masters after a while. My goal from the start was to question the rank and file."

"Genius," Quinn said quietly enough that she didn't hear him.

"So, and now I'm bored!" She reached over to his data pad. "What are you working on?"

Quinn sucked his breath in, but he managed just in time to appear indifferent. "Another report; I will of course sent it to you as soon as I'm finished."

"Good work on your reports on Alderaan, by the way. They enabled me to come up with the plan."

"Thank you, my lord."

Teava propped up on her arm and gestured him to sit down by her side. Quinn stiffly sat down, insecure how familiar he should act around her.

"Relax," she kicked her boots off and lay down again. "Why are you still so tense? We had a good time the other night, right?"

Quinn registered her use of the past tense, did it mean that it was already over? He shyly put his hand on hers and stroked it softly. "Yes."

"Did it bother you that I compared your dedication to the Empire with the Jedi's to his code?"

He hesitated. "Yes." Quinn cleared his throat. "I understand that you as a Sith think that our adherence to hierarchy and rules are inferior compared to your code. But I like to think that our dedication is different from the inanimate dogmatism of Jedi."

"I just wanted to get under the Jedi's skin, Quinn."

"Yes, of course." Quinn averted his gaze.

She sat up and put her hand on his cheek. Slowly she turned his head and forced him to look at her. "You don't believe me. You think that I'm contemptuous toward your principles."

There was no sense in denying it. He might as well tell her his opinion on the matter. "It's your right, all Imperial personnel are yours to utilize. It's not by chance that our code is to obey, whereas yours is to command."

"I – I never thought about that." Teava let go of his cheek. He missed her warmth instantly. After a short moment she continued. "Even if our society is build up like this, it doesn't mean that I disrespect your principles. It doesn't mean that I disrespect you."

Quinn was taken aback by her last words; at first he couldn't process them. After a few seconds he was finally able to stammer: "My l … I'm sorry that – I'm honoured by your words."

Teava ran her hand through his hair and mussed it up. "Enough talk." She gave him a lopsided grin before she pulled him into a passionate kiss.

ooOOoo

Thanks to the generous bathroom, they could take a shower together. Quinn was even bold enough to put shower gel on Teava's back and rub it in. She laughed and put shampoo in his hair in return.

"By the stars! I love to touch your hair! I guess it's because it's always so neatly coiffed."

"I aim to please," he chuckled.

"That you do," Teava retorted archly. "Your aim is true, my dear Captain."

Quinn looked at her, by the stars, she really was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her defined muscles were perfect, her eyes shone so brightly… Suddenly shampoo started running down her face, she snorted and turned to wash it quickly away. "Damn it – it got in my eyes!"

Quinn stepped closer and hugged Teava from behind, he gave her a tender peck on her neck. He felt completely calm and secure – more than that, he was happy.

Teava giggled. "Are you ready for another round?"

He loosened his embrace and let his arms fall to his sides. Quinn felt a twinge in his chest. The kiss wasn't meant to be erotic; he had just wanted to caress her, to show Teava how happy he was with her.

Teava turned around and smiled at him. "I'm not in the mood right now, but it's good to know that you have so much stamina."

"Ah, I'm sorry," he said, trying to keep a neutral expression on his face.

"No problem." She turned the water off and stepped out of the refresher. She handed Quinn a towel and began to rub herself dry.

He stepped out of the refresher and made no attempt to touch her again.

ooOOoo

The breakfast went as smoothly as the dinner. Teava was charming and was especially friendly to Drinred. She seemed to enjoy confusing him with her approachable personality – indeed his frown deepened as the conversation went on.

Finally, Teava pushed her chair back and stood up. "Well, it has been delightful, Lady Renata. Truly, your hospitality know no bounds!"

Vette and Quinn followed her example.

"Oh," Renata seemed almost disappointed. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Lord Teava."

"You are too kind. My regards to the Jedi Council, Master Jedi." Teava bowed and gave Drinred a brilliant smile.

Lady Renata accompanied them to the door and wished them safe travels.

ooOOoo

As soon as they had left the estate, Vette blurted out: "What was that about? We didn't get any information."

"Don't worry, we got what we needed. I had a nice chat with a servant yesterday."

"Did – did you kill somebody?"

"No, I actually just talked to him. No harm done." Teava sighed. "Why does everybody assume that I leave a bloody trail wherever I go?"

"Because you usually do?" retorted Vette.

"By the Emperor! Let's change the subject." Teava activated her wrist holocomm device. After a few seconds, the figure of Duke Kendoh appeared.

"My lord?"

"I sent you the Padawan's name earlier – do you have new leads?"

"Her parents are still on Alderaan. They serve in House Organa. According to planetary security, she left the planet years ago and boarded a ship headed to Typhon. A friend works in the interior ministry – since she had Alderaanian documentation, all requested security checks from off-world are registered in their databanks."

"Your bureaucratic procedures are impressive," Teava said.

"Ah, well we like to keep our records clean and orderly," Kendoh sounded a little smug.

"Send me all the data. We will sort them out ourselves. I will mention your cooperation to Darth Baras."

Kendoh bowed and the call ended.

ooOOoo

When they stepped on board the _Fury,_ Quinn had already checked the most recent entries. The last known location was from two weeks ago, from Hoth. Before that she had been on Corellia and Tatooine.

"Hoth? Why would she go on this rock?" Teava asked while pacing back in forth in the conference room.

"I cross-referenced the dates from her planetary visits with data from Imperial intelligence. It seems that she was accompanied by Jedi Master Bela Kiwiiks – or at least she always was reported being on the planets at the same time as Jaesa Willsaam," reported Quinn.

"Pretty big coincidence," said Vette. She held Chester in her arms and petted him. The gizka cooed happily – he seemed healthier than before. "But where is this Nomen Karr dude? Isn't she his Padawan?"

"Good point." Teava stopped her pacing. "Do we have a file on Kiwiiks?"

Quinn displayed the file on the holodisplay in the middle of the conference table. "I didn't have the time to read her complete file, but the most important thing is that she is a member of the Jedi Council. She is also known to be an experienced warrior who fought with Grand Master Satele Shan during the Battle of Rhen Var."

Teava frowned. "This is graver than I thought. If Willsaam is travelling with a member of the Jedi Council it means that they already verified her ability to see into the hearts of people. Perhaps they're already looking for Imperial moles."

Quinn let his thoughts wander. Even if Willsaam could read people's minds or their true nature, she still had to check one person after another – they would be slow and ineffective. Unless …

"My lord, I have a theory. Does Willsaam have to focus on one person to ascertain their allegiance?"

"I would think so. I guess she has to focus on somebody or even meditate to get into their mind."

"Then I don't think that the Republic would just let her randomly test people all over the galaxy. They would send her to sensitive places to check on the high-ranking commanders and persons with security clearance. If our assumption is correct we could predict her one of her next destinations and set a trap."

Teava rubbed her chin. "Interesting. Although it will be difficult to find out where she goes next." She sighed. "At any rate I have to inform Darth Baras. Please wait outside."

"Yes my lord."

"All righty."

Vette and Quinn left the room. He sat down in on the couch in the mid-section of the Fury and checked his messages. His mother hadn't replied to his note. Quinn wasn't surprised and started to work once again on his 'report' on Teava's hands. He read a few paragraphs, but he couldn't bring himself to focus on it. Perhaps he should just delete it? She saw him only as a pleasant distraction; why else had she rebuffed his attempt to caress her? Or was he wrong? Was he too subtle? Why hadn't he simply admitted that the kiss had been a sign of his growing affection and not an erotic overture?

Suddenly a squeaky toy hit on his chest. Before he could react, Chester jumped on the couch and snatched it. He started to chew on it, eliciting high-pitched squealing noises from it.

Vette laughed and sat next to Chester and Quinn.

"Did you throw it at me on purpose?" Quinn asked, annoyed.

"Yeah! I told you already – no brooding, just do it! You only live once, etcetera, etcetera."

Quinn gasped. How in the galaxy had she seen through him?

"You're not that mysterious, y'know. Why else would you look like you have stomach ache while reading something on your pad?"

"I guess I have to work on my sabacc face," remarked Quinn dryly.

The squeaking continued as Chester played with the toy. Quinn watched slightly disgusted at how Chester drooled all over it. Soon the pet seemed to tire of his game and with a curr, Chester scurried on Quinn's lap. Almost automatically Quinn started to pet him.

"Aw he likes you!"

Quinn glanced at Vette before directing his gaze on the small animal on his lap. Chester sat down snuggled himself into the crook of Quinn's arm. He took an odd comfort in the warmth of the animal. Then his thoughts returned to Teava and he stopped petting Chester.

"It's ridiculous," Quinn said quietly. "But I can't help myself."

"Then don't. Hangovers, heartaches and overindulgence won't kill you. It's all part of life."

"A part of life? Do you really believe that?"

Vette shrugged. "Sometimes." She reached over and took Chester from Quinn's lap and put him on hers. Vette started to pet him and he started to purr. "But it's true, isn't it? Most people I knew died from a blaster bolt or starved. Dying from a broken heart seems a luxury."

Quinn reflected on Vette's words. "Nobody dies from heart ache, but some people may die from hopelessness."

"Yes, some may."

Vette set her sights on him, for a moment she looked as if she wanted to say something but then she just bent down and gave Chester a kiss on his head and held him tighter. Quinn was glad, talking about hopelessness gave him a queasy feeling in the stomach.

ooOOoo

Teava stepped out of the conference room and joined them on the couch.

"Baras isn't happy," she began. "He had hoped that we could stop the Padawan before she and her abilities started to become a problem. But he agrees that the best chance to get to her is to wait for a high-profile meeting with Republic officials."

"What about her parents? Could we get to her with them?" asked Quinn.

"I doubt it. She hasn't spoken to them in over ten years. Jedi sever all ties when they enter the order. It might be worth a shot, but I assume they're protected by House Organa. An assassin could kill them, but that won't lure her out. It lacks the personal touch."

Vette frowned at Teava. "Personal touch … nice."

"Baras will use his network of spies to find out about the next big gathering of republican big-wigs – I assume that means that we have to wait for a couple of days."

Vette began to beam, her dismay apparently forgotten. "Great! Vacation! Where are we going?"

"Nowhere. We will just wait here on Alderaan. I think it's better if we stay in the core worlds. It won't be long anyway," replied Teava.

"Can we at least get off the _Fury_?" Vette moaned.

"You can take a stroll anytime you want, just take your holocomm with you."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know."

Vette rolled her eyes and stood up. "Come Chester, let's go for a walk."

"Do you even have a leash?" asked Teava.

"Of course, I made one a couple of days ago." She turned to leave.

"I sent you the papers on your data pad," Quinn said.

Vette stopped and turned to face them again. "Papers? What papers?"

"Alderaan forbids the import of off-world animals without the proper documentation. I filled out the necessary forms and got the authorisation before we landed. Otherwise, Chester might end up in quarantine."

Flabbergasted, Vette checked her data pad, then she looked up and beamed at Quinn. "You did that for me?"

Quinn shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "Well, to get these kind of formalities done is part of my job."

"Thanks!" Vette made a mock salute to Quinn and left.

Moments later they heard the airlock open and close again.

Teava got up and looked at Quinn with a strange glint in her eyes. "That was very kind of you."

"I was merely thorough." He felt his heart leap to his throat, but he didn't know why.

She smiled at him. "If you say so."

Quinn watched how Teava headed into her room, as soon as the door slid shut he activated his pad and continued to write his report.

ooOOoo

Several days later they were still waiting for news from Darth Baras. Teava was lying half-dressed on her stomach in an almost diagonal position on her bed and had her feet on Quinn's thighs. She was scrolling through her messages and occasionally responded to one of them. Quinn was leaning against the wall and absentmindedly massaged Teava's foot with his left hand, while using his right to read news bulletins from the Imperial navy on his pad.

Suddenly Teava's holocomm device started to beep. She quickly grabbed it from her bedside table and checked the caller ID.

"It's Baras," she said and hastily stood up and put on a robe.

Quinn jumped up, but Teava had taken the call before he had a chance to leave.

"My lord," said Teava and bowed.

"Good news, apprentice. My spies report that several high-ranking generals are gathering on Taris. There is a high probability that even the Republic War Trust is attending. My top spies in the SIS are absolutely certain that Jaesa Willsaam and Bela Kiwiiks will screen the participants."

"Great! I'm looking forward to finally moving on."

Baras rubbed his hands together. "Make sure that they suffer – to give Nomen Karr a taste of what's awaiting him. As we speak, you're receiving all the necessary information for your mission. I have informed the Imperial commander on Taris to support your mission with all his means."

Teava bowed for the last time and Baras' bluish figure disappeared from her holo.

"Plot a course for Taris immediately, Quinn."

"Right away, my lord."

He grabbed his clothes and started to dress. Suddenly Teava stood behind him and grabbed his buttocks. He glanced over his shoulder. She licked her lips and brought her mouth close to his ear.

"A pity – I rather liked having you at my beck and call all day."

"It's an honour to serve," said Quinn playfully. He turned around and kissed Teava's collarbone.

She laughed huskily. "Perhaps we find some time after you've programmed the navi computer. I assume it will take us a few days to get to Taris?"

Quinn nodded and trailed her neck with his lips until he reached her earlobe. Then he pulled himself together and let go of her.

"You sense of duty is admirable, Captain," said Teava with a chuckle.

He smiled at her. Then he took a breath to say, 'I love you', but suddenly he felt embarrassed and just said, "Yes, my lord."


	7. The Soldier

The _Fury_ would arrive in a few hours on Taris. Quinn sat in the galley with a cup of tea and scrolled through his report on _Metacarpus and phalanges_ _– an analysis_ and checked the formatting of the footnotes and the bibliography once more. Everything checked out, but the title wasn't good enough. Quinn frowned – should he use a more poetic heading? _The most beautiful hands in the Empire_? He grimaced; no, best if he kept to the present title. It was at least precise, even though it was heavy-handed.

In this moment Vette burst into the galley and quickly headed for the replimat. "No time to talk – I'm hungry!" she said loudly.

Quinn sighed as he saw how Vette pulled a nerfburger with fries from the food dispenser. "Didn't you eat the same dish yesterday?"

"Yeah, so what?" She sat down across from Quinn and inhaled the scent of the burger. "This is divine."

He frowned. "When did you last eat vegetables?"

Vette held up a single fry before tossing it into her mouth.

"Touché," Quinn mumbled. "But if you don't change your eating habits, Chester won't be the only one on board with a malnutrition."

Vette bit in the nerfburger and said with a full mouth: "So what? Then give me some pills."

"Your internal organs could still be damaged. Perhaps I should also check your liver function test results. Your alcohol consumption is high compared to –"

She stopped eating and stared at him. "I don't care. And neither should you." Quinn opened his mouth to retort, but Vette was faster. "I'm not stupid, I know what's healthy and what's not – but I really don't give a shit. I eat and drink whatever I damn well please!"

He was surprised at her aggressive answer and lifted his hands in defeat. "Alright, if you insist."

Teava entered the galley and eyed them. "Are you two arguing?"

"Nope, it's just that _Captain Dad_ here thinks he should give me unwanted advice."

"I merely pointed out that Vette should eat more healthy."

Teava replicated a soup and joined them at the table. "What do you mean by that? Isn't she eating enough?"

Vette groaned. "Here we go again." Then she continued eating her burger.

"Of course she is, but unlike Sith purebloods, humans and twi'leks need a balanced diet to stay healthy. We lack certain vitamins you can produce on your own."

Teava glanced at Vette. "I didn't know that – perhaps you should listen to Quinn."

Vette let her her nerfburger fall on the plate and slammed her hand on the table. "I'm not your slave! I can eat what I want!"

Teava frowned. "Calm down! Of course you can!"

Vette took a deep breath and wiped across her face. "Look, I get it. You want me to be healthy, but seriously – what's the point?"

"I don't understand," said Teava with confusion. "Being –"

Vette snapped with her fingers and pointed at Quinn. "Would you tell me the average life span of a Twi'lek in the Empire?"

He shifted in his seat. "As far I know, Twi'lek live about 70 years."

"Yeah, if they die a natural death – but in the Empire one hardly dies peacefully. Or even in Hutt space for that matter. My mother died when she was 30 years old, my sister was 24, my aunt 32, my grand-mother 31. I'm now 21 years old, so I ask again – what's the point?

"You really think that you will die in a couple of years?" Teava asked, puzzled.

"I _know_ that I will die young; but that's alright – but _please_ let me enjoy my garbage food and my booze until then."

Teava got up, walked over to Vette and hugged her. "I won't let you die."

Vette smiled sadly. "Awww, that's so sappy! But I know that you will try your best, T."

Quinn was unsure how to react on this display of intimacy. He briefly toyed with the thought to assure Vette that he would make sure, too, that she lived long enough to die of gout – he actually did like her in a weird way. But in the end he just remained silent, worried to say something inappropriate or worse even, something ridiculous.

ooOOoo

The Imperial garrison on Taris was heavily fortified and guarded with droids. After reading so much about the planet Quinn actually felt excited to set foot on it. Vette and he were wearing heavy armour – a precaution to the rakghouls, or rather against their infectious bite. Teava was wearing her usual armour, but she was also carrying a helmet.

They were greeted by a burly soldier at the shuttle. He bowed per regulation, but the smirk on his face as he looked at Teava made Quinn instantly dislike the man.

"I'm Lieutenant Pierce, my lord – a _pleasure_ to meet you."

To Quinn's dismay, Teava smiled at Pierce instead of frowning at his impertinence.

"Well met, Lieutenant."

"I will take you to Moff Hurdenn. Follow me."

Quinn pulled himself together. It was unprofessional of him to have an aversion toward Pierce just because he was supposedly brash.

A few minutes later they arrived in Moff Hurdenn's office. Hurdenn greeted Teava with all due respect: "My lord, I have never had cause to assist Darth Baras before, but I have long been an admirer of his work."

"I'm looking forward to working with you," she replied.

"You have already met Lieutenant Pierce – he is on loan form one of our notorious black ops divisions. He is hands down my finest officer. Since Darth Baras requested that I support you with all my resources, I will give you exclusive reign of him while you're on Taris. I trust he will accommodate your every need."

Teava looked Pierce straight in the eye. "Pierce, are you ready to accommodate me? It can be very rewarding."

"Of course, my lord," he growled.

Quinn stood next to them in parade rest and clenched his fist behind his back.

Hurdenn cleared his throat. "Ahem, I will leave the two of you to your mission, then. Should you need anything else, let me know."

Pierce displayed a holo of the Republic settlement on Taris. He showed them where the fortifications were.

"I did a recon mission a couple of hours ago after I heard that we're going after the War Trust. Did some homework. If that is the mission, I'm fully prepped."

Quinn had to admit that Pierce seemed like a capable soldier.

Teava nodded. "Good. But the War Trust is only our secondary objective. I'm here to take care of a Jedi who is supposed to meet with the War Trust."

"Good thing then that I got my hand on a Republic scout. Leaned on him. Hard."

"Excellent, I would like to question him myself. Perhaps he can give us clues about the Jedi."

Suddenly Pierce seemed contrite. "He's dead. I overestimated his stamina."

Amateur, thought Quinn. Pierce had most certainly used crude interrogation techniques, but anyone with experience knew that torture alone hardly ever worked.

"How disappointing." Teava crossed her arms.

"Been scoping the area the scout described. There is only one way in – a rakghoul infected tunnel right under the republic base. They never bothered to secure it because of the ferocious beasts. I suggest a small strike team – in and out before they realise they have been infiltrated."

"My lord – I would like to scout the area myself and double-check the lieutenant's report. If the scout was pressured, it's possible that he failed to procure all the information needed." Quinn said calmly.

Pierce shot him a nasty look. " _Sir_ , I know how to do my job."

"That may be – but I trust Captain Quinn's judgement. We will scout the surroundings of the republic base tomorrow," Teava decided.

"Yes, my lord," Pierce snarled through gritted teeth.

"Please show us our quarters, Lieutenant."

"This way."

ooOOoo

Quinn had settled in rather quickly, they had gotten small single rooms and there was nothing to do beside to put his bag into the narrow locker next to his bunk. He checked his chronometer: It was 20:30 local time.

He checked his data pad for messages and began to read Pierce's report thoroughly. After 20 minutes, he was through and was slightly annoyed about the brevity of the text. Or was he just critical because of Pierce's behaviour? He checked the report again, no – it was indeed shortened to the point where detailed information was missing.

Teava deserved better, Quinn mused and downloaded several reports from Imperial Intelligence and other military sources to compile a more complete report for her. Just when he was about to start to read, he thought about his other report. He opened it again and scrolled through it. He had finished it days ago, but he hadn't found the courage to send it to her.

Perhaps he should just do it, as Vette had suggested? He glanced at his chronometer: 20:56. Yes, he could send it and wait a few hours before calling on her to present his new report of Taris. Teava then had the time think about how she wanted to react to his text. And even if she decided to ignore it completely because of its inappropriateness, he could smooth it over with his other reports – and show her that he was still her professional captain.

The notion that she could just turn him down gave him a twinge in his chest and he quickly refocused on his plan. Perhaps he could speed up his work process a little and present her a perfect report in a matter of hours that showed how much he valued her. Teava had complimented him on his work before, and it had filled him with a pride he hadn't known before.

He checked his chronometer again: 20:58. Quinn carefully entered Teava as recipient of _Metacarpus and phalanges_ _– an analysis_ and hesitated for a moment before he quickly clicked on the send-button. His hands started to tremble and his heartbeat quickened when he received the confirmation that the report had been sent.

Quinn closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. After about a minute he had calmed down. His thoughts were still in an uproar but he forced himself to focus on the report on Taris. It took all his willpower not to check his messages every minute.

At 23:04 he had finished his work, Quinn had always been diligent in compiling reports, but this time he had been twice as fast. He checked his messages and kept his breath as he saw that he had received two – but none of them were from Teava. Suddenly he had a hollow feeling in his stomach; had he made a mistake? He checked his chronometer. 23:06. He exhaled.

There was nothing he could do about it now. He had been lost ever since had first laid eyes on Teava. He had to see it through. Quinn stood up and checked his appearance in the mirror above the washbasin. He looked pale and pained. Quinn took a few deep breaths and rearranged his face into a neutral expression. He checked the chronometer again: 23:08. Then he turned in his heel and headed for Teava's room which was only about 20 meters away from his.

He stopped in front of the door and clenched his hand around his pad. Quinn wiped across his face, steeled himself and knocked.

Several seconds passed. Just when he thought about knocking again, he heard Teava calling out. "One moment!"

She sounded distracted. Quinn nervously ran his hand through his hair.

The door slid open and revealed Teava: She was wearing the same dark robe she had flung around herself when Darth Baras had called. Quinn heard a rustling behind her. His eyes darted toward the noise – it was Pierce pulling a shirt over his naked chest. He stood right next to a rumpled bed.

Quinn almost let his data pad fall, as an iron grip took hold of his heart. He felt lightheaded and his stomach felt like someone had punched it. His chest started to hurt and for a moment he couldn't breathe.

"What is it, Quinn?" asked Teava.

His gaze fell on her face. Her eyes were as bright as always. Golden, vibrant, beautiful. Quinn almost choked up, but in the last moment he pulled himself together and said in a neutral voice: "I just wanted to brief you on mission details – I'm sorry that I bothered you, my lord. If you will excuse me."

Without waiting for her to answer, he turned on his heel and forced himself to walk calmly back to his room. He felt her stare on his back, but he couldn't turn around – had he looked upon her again he would have lost his composure completely.

ooOOoo

As soon as the door slid shut behind him a single sob escaped his lips. His hands started to tremble so badly that he let the data pad fall on his bunk. Then he buried his face in his hands and pressed his fingers so hard against his skin that it started to hurt. He had been too late! Too late! Teava had moved on before he had told her that … Quinn trembled in anger. He was indeed a failure! Despite all his talents he was a complete waste of space! Useless! He gritted his teeth and punched the wall next to the door.

Another thought entered his mind. What if she had read his report? What if this was her way to show him where his place was?

He panted and pulled his plated gloves from his hands, then he pressed the nail of his right thumb into the thin skin between his left thumb and his index finger as hard as he could. The pain did nothing to ease the tension that had taken hold of him. He wanted to run until he was exhausted, until he had no breath left inside him.

With trembling hands he checked his chronometer: 23:17. He suppressed his agitation with all his might and grabbed his data pad. Work, work would calm him down. It had to.

ooOOoo

At sunrise, 05:23 to be exact, Quinn just took a quick shower and changed into a fresh uniform. He was finally at peace, having worked all night until he was so tired that he stopped questioning himself. Before he left his quarters, he injected himself with a stim that would keep him awake for the next few hours.

Quinn headed at 05:35 to the command center and checked the latest reports for the Republic base. Then he went into the armoury and prepped the equipment for their scouting party.

At 08:00 he met with Teava, Pierce and Vette at the gates of the outpost. Quinn's chest started to hurt as soon as he saw Teava, but he took a deep breath and focussed on the task at hand.

Pierce took the lead and they started to walk toward the east. At first the morning air was cool but soon they started to sweat under their heavy armour as the sun rose.

After about two hours they passed the ruins of an old spaceship, almost completely covered with moss and plants, but Quinn could still make out its designation on the starboard side: B3956-Ren-Ham-ES.

He slowed down his step – it was indeed the _Endar Spire_!

"Tired already, Captain?" sneered Pierce.

"Of course not," Quinn replied in a neutral tone; he made an effort to sound indifferent.

"Admiring the scenery then, eh?"

"This is the _Endar Spire_ , Lieutenant. The destruction of this ship is legendary. It set in motion the series of events that led to Darth Malak's bombardment of the planet."

Pierce just scoffed. On any other day Quinn would've been annoyed by the lack of respect Pierce showed, but today he didn't care.

They continued to walk, suddenly Vette appeared next to him. "You look like shit. If I didn't knew better I would guess that you're hungover."

He glanced at her. "I am not."

She lowered her voice. "Rough night?" She nudged him and gave him a knowing smile.

Stars! She thought that he was tired because Teava had … He gulped. "I had to work. It's not what you think."

He couldn't help himself. He had to look at Teava, who was walking in front of him right next to Pierce, and to his surprise he saw that she was looking over her shoulder at him. She slowed down her step until she was next to him.

"I have to admit that I was just skimming through your reports this morning. But I'm still surprised that you would include a chapter about Taris' history."

So she had indeed read his reports? He started to feel sick again. "N – no my lord, I read about the _Endar Spire_ quite some time ago."

"When you were on Balmorra?"

"Yes, my lord."

"I guess you had time to read there?"

"Yes, my lord."

Teava put her hand on Vette's shoulder. "Would you excuse us?"

"Sure!" replied Vette and ran up to catch up to Pierce.

Quinn nervously licked his lips and waited for Teava to speak.

"I assume the reason for your curtness is because you saw me and Pierce yesterday. And honestly I'm surprised that you took it so hard. I thought we had an understanding."

"Of course, my lord." Quinn stared at the path before him. "I know that – I – I was just taken aback. I apologize for my lack of restraint."

"Then all is well." He could hear a smile in her voice; it almost broke his heart. Quinn knew her well enough to realise that it wasn't meant to be cruel, but hearing her say these words almost tore his carefully arranged façade down.

"Yes, my lord."

ooOOoo

Shortly after the reached their intended observation post. Quinn scanned the vicinity with his binoculars and verified that the Republic base was indeed well fortified. But it was also surrounded by dense woodwork and a small lake on the north-eastern side.

He magnified the woods with his binoculars. "Lieutenant, do you know why the Republic didn't clear the forest? Their line of sight would've been much better."

"No idea, probably because of the rakghouls – they tend to hide in the trees."

Vette also directed her binoculars towards the forest. "Interesting, they did only uproot the first few trees – I bet they've mined the ground up to their walls."

"Sounds reasonable. They probably mined the lake, too." Quinn lowered his binoculars and rubbed his chin. "The Lieutenant's initial assertion was right – the tunnels might be the only way into the base."

"Told ya so," Pierce growled in satisfaction.

"However," Quinn added, "given the surroundings I would recommend a feint. It certainly would make an infiltration easier."

Teava nodded. "I agree – any suggestions, Quinn?"

"We could lure the rakghouls with combat droids towards the base, if our assumption is correct they will set off the mines and the Republic soldiers will believe that they're under attack."

Vette checked the forest again with her binoculars and said: "What a waste of good droids – I can rig a few mouse droids to do it. Much cheaper."

Quinn thought about it for a moment. He liked the idea; mouse droids were indeed a better choice. "I stand corrected."

"Droids can't lure rakghouls anywhere," retorted Pierce.

Quinn shot him an annoyed look. Was he really that dense?

Vette sighed. "Duh, obviously we're putting a bait on the droids."

Teava laughed and patted both, Quinn's and Vette's shoulder. "By the stars, how did I ever get by without you two?"

Quinn smiled shyly at her. She again had a strange glint in her eye when she looked at him. He couldn't interpret it, but it set him at ease. But it lasted only for a second – then he felt suddenly ashamed and lowered his sight.


	8. The Lucky Man

After their return to the Imperial base, Quinn and Vette went to the quartermaster and acquired as many mouse droids as possible. Pierce had arranged a space in the base's workshop for them and they started to modify the small droids.

Quinn soon discovered that Vette was more versed than him in programming the droids. She was casually making conversation while writing code sequences for the upcoming mission.

"Chester is doing much better – a pity that I couldn't bring him along."

"A military base is no place for a pet," replied Quinn. He checked the programming and finally put the mouse droid with the others they had already finished.

Vette scoffed. "You don't say! I sure hope that we will finally visit a planet without dangerous mutants and/or insane Sith trying to murder us."

"Where would be the fun in that?" Quinn asked dryly.

She snorted and put another finished droid to the rest. "And here I thought that the concept of humour is foreign to Imps."

Quinn was trying his best to appear unfazed despite his inner turmoil. Despite his best efforts he couldn't forget his conversation with Teava – nor what he had seen the evening before.

He pushed the images aside and asked: "Where did you learn to work with droids?"

"I don't even know – I always had a knack for this stuff. You?"

"In the academy; I was always more interested in biology than …" he fell silent when he saw Teava approaching. Her serious expression let his mind go completely blank.

"Hey T!" Vette beamed at her and gestured towards the droids. "In a matter of hours your tiny droid army is ready!"

Teava smiled at little and became serious again. "I would like to have a word with Quinn."

"Again?" groaned Vette and got up. "Alright, I will go get some caf."

Quinn felt a lump form in his stomach and continued to work on a droid until Vette was out of earshot. Quinn was hot and cold at the same time. Thoughts and feelings rumbled through him and he had to focus on appearing calm.

Teava leaned against the worktable and said softly: "I've read all your reports."

He gulped, put the droid down and felt how his hands became sweaty. Quinn felt silly, he should've never sent the report – what had he been thinking? He redirected his gaze back to the droids, unable to say anything.

"Are you in love with me?" she asked bluntly.

He lifted his sight and licked his lips. "Yes, my lord," he quietly said.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" she seemed almost sad. Was she pitying him?

"I was afraid." He paused. "I know that I'm undeserving – but I couldn't help myself, I wanted to tell you how much I … admire you." He scoffed. "At the time I thought it was a good idea. I apologize, my lord."

She smiled at him and cupped his left cheek with her hand. "Don't be and you're not undeserving. Your report is the most romantic thing I've ever gotten. The footnotes really moved me. I like you very much, and I'm attracted to you – but I don't think that I'm in love with you."

Strangely enough Quinn now felt completely calm. It was almost a relief to finally hear it. "I know."

"I would like to invite you back in my bed when the mood strikes me." She let go of his cheek, lowered her hand and waited for his reaction.

Quinn took her hand, led it to his mouth and kissed it. "It would be my honour." She had offered him a slim prospect of bliss and he was ready to take it. It was all he had.

He heard Vette approaching and kissed the back of Teava's hand again before letting it go.

ooOOoo

A day later they carried out the assassination – Quinn and Vette monitored the droids from the Imperial base while Teava and Pierce infiltrated the Republic headquarters dressed as Republic soldiers.

Quinn was confident in the plan, but he was nevertheless relieved to hear Teava's voice over holo a couple of hours later: "Team One to base – mission accomplished."

"Do you need support?" asked Vette.

"No, we were in and out before anybody noticed. The Padawan is dead, but we didn't see Master Kiwiiks."

"Those amateurs left her alone in some sort of meditation chamber," growled Pierce.

"I will brief you once we're back," said Teava curtly and the call ended.

Quinn exhaled and let himself fall on a chair.

"Oh boy, I can't wait for the party tonight!" exclaimed Vette.

He chuckled a little. "I doubt that the base's cantina is well-stocked."

"Hey, you know me – cheap stuff is my thing!"

They fell silent for a moment until Quinn said quietly: "Your performance today was excellent."

He just glanced at Vette, but he caught her surprised look.

"Y-Yeah! Of course!"

They were silent again, but then Vette spoke up: "You seem happier – I take it the talk you and Teava had was good?"

Quinn's mood was dimmed a bit. "We came to an understanding."

"Uh-oh, that doesn't sound too great."

"It's good enough for me."

Vette popped two pieces of pink chewing gum into her mouth. Quinn watched Vette chewing the gum noisily and wondered when he had started to talk with a Twi'lek ex-slave about his most intimate feelings. She made a bubble, popped it and gave him a lopsided grin. "Alright Capt'n."

Vette had been right – Teava had gone straight to the cantina and had started to celebrate. After a couple of drinks, Pierce, Vette and Teava were dancing in the middle of the dance floor – surrounded by astonished foot soldiers. Quinn was sitting at the table watching them. It looked like fun but he couldn't make his mind up to join them. Instead he enjoyed observing them – Vette with her graceful movements, Pierce with his slightly maladroit attempts to mimic her and finally Teava. She was not in time with the music; her movements seemed a little awkward but Quinn couldn't take his eyes off her. It warmed his heart to see her laugh and dance. By the stars, she really was perfect!

When their gazes met he smiled at her and lifted his glass to salute her. She winked at him and grinned.

Quinn saw of course that Pierce followed Tevea into her room that night. He felt a twinge in his chest but otherwise he remained remarkably calm. He knew his place now.

ooOOoo

In the morning they met up in the office of Moff Hurdenn. Vette looked sick – but she had had quite a few drinks. Pierce looked equally weary, while Teava was full of energy and smiling.

"I spoke to Darth Baras last night," Teava said to start the meeting. "He is of course highly pleased that the Padawan no longer poses a risk. He also commends you, Moff Hurdenn, for your work."

"You are too kind," replied Hurdenn with an oily smile. "As a show of my respect, I place Lieutenant Pierce under your command. He will be invaluable in your domination of the galaxy."

Teava seemed taken aback but pleased. "This is a surprise, Moff Hurdenn. But I'm glad to have him."

Pierce bowed, he seemed surprised by this development. "M'lord."

"Get your things, Pierce. Captain Quinn will brief you on how things work on my ship."

"Can't wait," mumbled Pierce.

Quinn wanted to reprimand Pierce for his derogatory remark, but he wasn't sure if Teava wanted him to adhere to military protocol. Up until now she hadn't shown any interest in sticking to formalities.

"What was that, Lieutenant?" asked Teava sharply.

"Nothing, m'lord."

Quinn was mildly surprised on the harsh tone Teava had taken. It seemed unlike her.

"You will find out that I'm very lenient, Lieutenant. But I won't tolerate disrespect." Her tone softened. "I trust that you will fit in nicely."

"Yes m'lord."

ooOOoo

Quinn gave Pierce a brief tour of the _Fury_ and concluded it in the mid-section of the ship. "Do you have any questions so far, Lieutenant?"

Pierce crossed his arms. "What's my job here exactly?"

"Given your expertise, I expect you will be handling demolitions and heavy firepower support. Lord Teava will have to decide depending on the mission."

"And the Twi'lek?"

"Her name is Vette. As for her function you will have to ask Lord Teava."

"You're the tactical advisor?"

Quinn clasped his hands behind his back. "Yes, I am."

"Ever gotten your hands dirty?"

"Of course."

Pierce stared at him. "We'll see."

In this moment Vette approached with Chester in her arms. "This is Chester!" She lifted him up and smiled at Pierce.

"A pet, huh?"

"Well, he's not dinner."

Pierce laughed dryly. "If you say so."

Quinn reached out and petted Chester, he started to purr. "You should take him for a walk as soon as possible. His vitamin deficiency could return without sufficient sunlight."

"Yeah, I will."

"Just keep it away from me," said Pierce, "or I might step on it without noticing."

Vette frowned at him and pressed Chester closer to her chest.

"Just kidding," Pierce mumbled. He threw his duffle bag over his shoulder and went into the crew quarters.

ooOOoo

Quinn leaned back in the pilot's chair and looked straight ahead. They were on course to Dromund Kaas in the hyper lane. The stars were nothing but bright blurs at this speed, but he still watched them for a while. Then he focussed again on the navi and checked their route. With a careful, slow motion he adjusted the course by 0.00001 parsecs and noted the change in the log. Just when he was finishing it, a beep rang out: It was an incoming hyperspace message on the emergency channel.

Quinn frowned and leaned forward to listen to the emergency transmission.

"Mayday! This is the _Bryva_ , C-HKS50. Coordinates 1750.789 and 2088.134. Mayday! This is the _Bryva_ , C-HKS50. Coordinates 1750.789 and 2088.134." It was an automatic distress call from a Republic ship, at least judging from the designation.

He disengaged the autopilot and steered the Fury out of the hyper lane. Then he quickly activated the ship's intercom system and said: "My lord, a situation requires our immediate attention – I will await the crew in the conference room."

Then he activated the autopilot again and programmed it to hold position.

"Quinn – what is this about?" Teava asked as she stepped into the conference room, followed by Vette and Pierce.

"We have received a distress call from a Republic freighter," Quinn replied, playing the message again.

"Where are they?" Teava started to pace back and forth.

Quinn activated a galaxy map and pointed to a red blinking dot in the orbit of a small moon.

"Strange place for a freighter." Vette stepped closer and pointed to the white lines in the galaxy map. "The hyper lane routes are over there. Why would a freighter orbit a moon – there is nothing."

"They didn't specify their emergency." Quinn zoomed into the holo map. "But we are the only ship in the vicinity."

"So what, they're just Reps," growled Pierce. "Let them peg out. They wouldn't lift a finger for one of ours."

"It could be pirate bait," Vette said and grimaced.

"Pirate bait?" Teava asked.

"Yeah, all you need is a derelict ship, an isolated location and a transponder – as soon as your scanners pick up a ship, they start to send the distress signal. And when the rescuers arrive – well let's just say that it isn't nice."

Quinn rubbed his chin. "Interesting strategy – possibly quite effective." Then he straightened himself. "Nevertheless, Imperial naval customs demand that we respond to the distress call."

Pierce didn't say anything, but the look on his face spoke clearly: He thought that Quinn was insane.

Teava crossed her arms and stared at Quinn. "You would risk a pirate trap for naval customs?"

He fell into parade rest and clasped his hands behind his back. "Unlike the Republic, we are not savages, my lord. And if it is a pirate trap – well, then it's your duty to protect Imperial ships from them by obliterating them."

Teava smiled at him. "Well then, let's find out, shall we?"

Vette groaned. "If I die I'm going to haunt you! Do you hear me, Quinn?"

"Come on, girl – let's get ready. And here I thought this journey would be boring me to tears…" Pierce strode out of the room.

"I'm too beautiful to die, T!" Vette moaned as she followed him out.

Quinn was about to head to the cockpit when Teava grabbed his upper arm and whispered in a sultry voice: "You are the most merciful and at the same time the most merciless man I've ever seen, Quinn."

Quinn felt heat crawl up his cheeks and was about to ask what she meant by that, but Teava had already walked away.

ooOOoo

All efforts to hail the Republic vessel as they approached it failed. Quinn docked the Fury on the upper hatch of the _Bryva_ and headed to the airlock. The crew readied themselves to board the _Bryva_ ; and when the airlock finally hissed and opened, Pierce took point with his blaster rifle drawn. Teava followed him closely. Quinn and Vette guarded the rear. They secured the entrance room and checked it for explosives or other booby-traps.

Quinn called 2V and ordered him to seal the airlock off and to guard the _Fury_. Then he pulled a scanner from his utility belt.

"The distress call seems to originate from the bridge, my lord. No surprise there – it's the usual location of all transponder devices."

Vette went to an inactive commstation right next to the airlock. She crouched down and opened up an interface in the lower half. Quinn stepped closer to see what she was doing. With a few quick movements she had connected a few wires Quinn didn't recognize. With a quiet hum the commstation sprung to life.

"Heh, I haven't lost my magical touch!"

Quinn made a mental note to check on Vette's extent of technical knowledge – it seemed that she was even more apt that he had imagined.

Vette began to look through the files. "No luck here. Whatever happened has fried the most recent logs."

Pierce scoffed. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Teava nodded. "It seems too convenient. Shall we proceed?"

"Yes, my lord," replied Quinn. He put the scanner back in its casing and drew his blaster.

Pierce took again point and opened the next door. As it slid open, it revealed a long hallway. The ceiling lights were flickering, leaving some areas in the shadows. The smell of stale air and tibanna gas reached Quinn's nose. Tibanna gas… why was a Republic freighter transporting this cheap … and in that moment it hit him and he yelled: "Pirates!"

Just then, the doors in front of them burst open and about fifteen pirates stormed the hallway and started shooting.

Quinn and Vette hid behind narrow columns that barely covered them. Pierce stood his ground and returned fire, while Teava stood by his side and deflected the blaster bolts with her lightsabers.

Suddenly Pierce screamed and fell on the floor, holding his left shoulder.

Quinn ran out of cover and pulled Pierce towards the column, while Vette covered them with a sweeping blaster movement.

He quickly checked Pierce's shoulder, and stopped the bleeding with a self-attaching dressing.

"Bloody pirates!" growled Pierce through gritted teeth.

"We need more light!" yelled Vette. "I can't see a thing!"

Quinn peeked cautiously from behind his column into the direction the pirates were shooting from. They indeed had better positioning and the flickering light made it very difficult to pinpoint their exact location.

But perhaps they didn't need to see them at all. Tibanna gas was cheap because it was highly volatile – only poor and reckless people would use it at all. Oxyhydrogen … Quinn quickly searched his utility belt for ingredient for a stoichiometric mixture. Then he cracked open a kolto capsule, added acid from his own blaster cartridge and some chemicals. He closed the capsule again and drew his blaster.

"Behind the columns!" he yelled

Teava ducked herself behind a column. Vette and Pierce did the same.

Quinn threw the capsule as far towards the pirates as he could and followed it with his eyes, blaster trained on it. It hit the floor and slid closer to the pirates. Just a little more, thought Quinn.

"What the hell are you doing?" screamed Vette. "Take cover!"

Now. Quinn took a step away from the column and exposed himself to the enemy fire, but he had to take his time, make his shot count. Quinn took a deep breath and held his blaster hand steady. When he exhaled he pulled the trigger.

His shot grazed the capsule but it was all that was needed. In a matter of seconds the pirates were engulfed in fire, screaming and yelling until they eventually fell silent.

The stench of burnt flesh and smoke was heavy in the air, Quinn immediately felt sick, but he acted as if it didn't faze him. He pulled a flashlight droid from his utility belt and activated it. With a silent hum it flew up and lit up the hallway and what was left of the pirates.

Teava stepped next to him and deactivated her lightsabers before she hung them on her belt. "What was that?"

"I knew that one of the blaster cartridges had to have a leak – the smell gave it away. And tibanna gas is prone to explode given the right reactions," Quinn said.

Vette nudged him into his upper arm. "Well, you're lucky that the pirates sucked at aiming."

Pierce got up, he still held his left shoulder. Quinn took another quick look, the bleeding had stopped. Quinn pulled a kolto injector from his belt and emptied it into Pierce's shoulder.

"This will ease the pain until we're back on the _Fury_."

Pierce glared at him. "Right."

Teava and Vette took point and after a few minutes they finally reached the bridge. Vette made short work of the transmitter and about half an hour later they were on the _Fury_ again.

ooOOoo

Quinn helped Pierce to lay down on the bedside in the med bay. Then he detached the dressing and put kolto gel on the through-and-through blaster wound.

"The scans indicate that your joint is unharmed," Quinn explained as he put another dressing on Pierce's shoulder. "A few days rest should be enough to let you fully recover."

Pierce sat up on the bedside and watched Quinn as he disposed of the old dressing and the used kolto injector.

"Guess you know how to get your hands dirty."

Quinn glanced at Pierce. He seemed sullen. "I do."

The next two days were quite slow – it would take the _Fury_ three more days to reach Dromund Kaas and Quinn had no report to prepare, so he read up on Imperial war efforts across the galaxy and found time to read a brief history of Shili.

He sat on the couch next to the holocomm station and had a steaming cup of tea in front of him. From the cargo bay he heard Pierce and Vette laughing – a frequent squeaking noise led him to the assumption that they were playing with Chester.

"Are you writing another report?"

Quinn flinched, he hadn't heard Teava approaching him and a quick glance to her feet revealed why – she wasn't wearing her combat boots but the slippers she usually only wore in the morning. Now he noticed that she was wearing a casual light robe.

He was flustered. Was she mocking him because of _Metacarpus and phalanges_ _– an analysis_? "N-No my lord. I have some spare time, I'm reading about Shili." He realised that he was tense and wiped his face. "I know … I have to loosen up, I'm sorry."

"Do you want to loosen up in my room?" Teava grinned at him, a glint in her eyes.

Quinn's heart leaped up to his throat and he nodded.

Teava took him by his hand and led him into her quarters.


	9. The Son

"I missed you," said Teava as she got up from the bed and picked up her robe.

Quinn was still lying on the bed and a little out of breath. "Missed me?"

She slid in her robe and grabbed a towel. "When I was with Pierce, I just, well, I realised that I missed you." Teava let herself fall on the bed and gave Quinn a kiss.

He suddenly felt nervous, at the same time he was strangely happy. She had missed him? He cupped her cheek with his hand and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Then he took her hand and kissed it as well. "Thank you."

She blinked in surprise. "What for?"

"For telling me."

Teava gave him a peck. "I'm not telling you this to make you feel better. I don't play games. I do really like you."

Quinn was speechless. Had she really just said that … that she considered him to be more than a pleasant distraction? "You do?" he asked after a pause.

She smiled. "I might kill people for a living, but I'm not cruel. I wouldn't say it unless I mean it."

He smiled back at her. "My l – Teava, you are making me very happy."

"You did it!" she laughed and got up. "I'm going to take a shower now … Malavai."

ooOOoo

The chronometer beeped and woke Quinn up. He quickly silenced it and gave Teava, who was still sleeping, a soft kiss on her shoulder before he stood up and dressed himself. Quinn headed into the cockpit and checked their arrival time on Dromund Kaas – he frowned when he discovered that his calculations were off by three minutes.

He went into the galley and made himself a cup of tea and checked his messages. Quinn wasn't surprised to discover that his mother still hadn't replied. Yet it bothered him that she didn't deign to write a short message to her only son. He briefly thought about writing her again, but then he discarded the idea.

Instead he headed into the med bay and grabbed a scanner before entering the cargo bay. Chester cooed as Quinn knelt down in front of the cage and activated the scanner. The readouts were good. Chester was as healthy as a gizka could be.

Quinn looked around; nobody was within earshot. He cleared his throat and said: "You are fine now."

Chester cooed again.

"Vette will take you for a walk once we land."

It was as if Chester had understood him - he started to run back and forth in his cage. Quinn smiled, got back on his feet and left.

ooOOoo

Two hours later everybody was up and preparing for their visit to Kaas City. Quinn noted that Teava was wearing her battle armour despite the fact that they were on Imperial soil. Vette had taken Chester out on a leash. She had briefly smiled at Quinn when she saw that he had sent her the documentation needed to get her pet out of the spaceport.

Pierce took a deep breath as they stepped out. "Ah, it's been ages since I've smelled the lovely stink of the jungles of Dromund Kaas!"

Quinn shared the sentiment. It had been ten years ago when he had last stepped on his homeworld. Smelling the earthy smell of the woods and seeing the rain falling on the tall trees and thick bushes that surrounded the spaceport made him almost choke up. He was home.

"Does the rain ever stop?" Vette groaned. "Why isn't your capital on Makeb?"

"I prefer Korriban," Teava said with a smile.

Quinn had to suppress the impulse to step out into the rain. As a boy he had enjoyed feeling the heavy raindrop pattering down on him as he ran home from school. The best part was of course the warm blanket the house droid wrapped him in as soon as he entered his parent's flat.

He almost sighed and activated the rain shield. With a hum a tiny droid flew up in the air from his utility belt and a transparent force field materialised over his head. Quinn stepped into the rain. A silent hissing noise was heard as the raindrops made contact with the force field.

The others activated their rain shields and in a matter of minutes they reached a taxi platform.

Teava stopped just before the taxi droid and gave them a broad smile. "I've got a little surprise for you guys. Before we head into the city I would like to invite you to my family's estate. My parents are eager to meet you."

Quinn was taken aback and ran his hand through his hair. What did Teava's parents know about him?

Vette frowned. "Uh, sure. I guess you wouldn't suggest it if they were crazy Sith who like to skin cute Twi'leks alive while sipping Balmorran red wine."

"Appreciated, m'lord," Pierce growled, but he didn't sound enthusiastic at all.

Quinn gulped and indicated a bow. "It's an honour, my lord."

Teava threw her hands up in the air. "By the stars! They're simply interested to meet my crew. They are, uh, normal people, not blood-thirsty madmen!"

"Right," Vette said with a shrug. "I mean what's the worst that could happen in a secluded mansion full of Sith?"

"That's the spirit!" Teava beamed as if she hadn't detected any sarcasm.

ooOOoo

The flight was surprisingly short; while the estate was at the outskirts of Kaas City, it wasn't remote. Quinn looked out of the window and watched the jungle fly by. He kneaded his hands together and pressed his fingers in the back of his hand. Heavy raindrops hit the window and ran down in small runlets. Watching them made the knot in his stomach go away. Vette was right, nothing would happen – there was no need to worry. Besides, what did he have to worry about? He turned his head and looked at Teava. Yes, there was nothing to worry about.

The taxi landed right in front of a large gate with two droid guards. As soon as they saw Teava, they opened the gate and revealed an elegant mansion build with light stone.

"Well, it doesn't look as sinister as I thought," Vette whispered to Quinn.

"Didn't you come here the last time you were on Dromund Kaas?"

"Nope, we stayed close to the citadel."

Teava led them up to the mansion, before they had climbed the stairs to the entrance the door swung open and a tall Pureblood woman stepped out. She was wearing an expensive looking gold-adorned robe and fitting jewellery.

"Mother!" Teava exclaimed and hugged her.

The woman beamed and returned the hug. Quinn registered that he hadn't expected that, although he didn't know why.

"Teava! I'm so glad that you're here!"

They let go of each other and Teava turned to her companions.

"May I introduce Darth Acudae Kâmnash."

Acudae politely nodded and turned her attention to Vette. "Ah, you must be Vette."

"My lord," replied Vette visibly nervous and bowed.

"And you are Lieutenant Pierce and Captain Quinn."

"My lord," echoed Pierce and Quinn. They bowed as well.

"Please come in – we have prepared an Alderaniaan brunch – Teava, your father has locked himself in his study. Could you please fetch him?"

Teava eyed her mother suspiciously but nodded. "Sure."

Vette took a step closer to Pierce and Quinn when Teava turned on her heel and strode out of the vestibule. Even Chester was uncharacteristically quiet and just craned his neck instead of cooing.

Acudae lifted her left hand. "Rest easy, I simply want to get to know the people my daughter trusts." She stepped in front of Pierce and stared him in the eye.

Pierce simply stared back at her.

"You are bold," Acudae mumbled. "One could say reckless."

She moved on to Vette.

"Hm, you have courage yet you are afraid. Interesting."

Vette averted her gaze, holding Chester's leash so tight that her knuckles turned white.

Finally Acudae stopped in front of Quinn. He wasn't afraid, only disquieted, so he looked her calmly in the eye like he had done with countless other Sith lords.

"And you are more than meets the eye," she said quietly. "Calm, centred and yet so undecided."

To everyone's surprise she knelt down and petted Chester, who started to purr the moment her hand touched his head. "And you are Chester, right? Yes, you are."

In this moment Teava returned, followed by a very tall Pureblood man with grey hair. He wore red robes with silvery ornaments. His face was covered by silver piercings.

"Father, this is my crew. Everyone – this is Darth Rhajâ Kâmnash."

They bowed and Rhajâ nodded at them.

"Pleasure. Shall we proceed to the brunch then?"

Quinn wasn't sure whether they were also invited and made eye contact with Teava. When he raised his eyebrow questioningly, she took the hint.

"Come along everybody, it's just down the hall." Teava put her hand on Vette's shoulder. "You can also bring Chester along. It seems that my mother has taken a liking to him."

Vette tentatively smiled.

ooOOoo

The brunch went down without incident, Vette even relaxed a little and participated in the conversation in her usual blithe manner. Pierce was monosyllabic and focussed on eating. Quinn answered questions about Imperial matters with the utmost politeness. Teava's parents indeed seemed to be rather pleasant-natured, but he felt ignoble in the grand dining hall, holopictures of ancestors and what seemed to be invaluable relics radiated the power and wealth of the Kâmnash family. Teava truly was beyond his humble reach.

Quinn lost his appetite and politely shook his head when a droid offered another helping of the cheeseboard. He was lost in thought and thus flinched when Vette mentioned his name.

"But luckily Quinn is a medic and managed to determine what was wrong with Chester."

Rhajâ leaned back in his chair. "I see, so you took it upon you to save the animal?"

"Yes my lord." He fully expected to be mocked by the powerful Sith in front of him, but to his surprise he merely nodded and turned his attention again on Vette.

"And you say you have been in the Tombs of Korriban? It's truly fascinating to see what kind of lengths the old Sith lords went to protect their moral remains… foolish but fascinating."

He continued his conversation with Vette and Quinn took a sip of tea. His sight fell on Acudae who was sitting across from him; she was staring at him and Quinn almost choked on his tea.

"I'm still trying to figure you out, Captain Quinn," Acudae said with a smile that did bear uncanny resemblance to that of her daughter. "You are so restrained and at the same time you are not. It puzzles me."

"I merely strive to do my best," Quinn cleared his throat. Immediately he regretted his answer. His best was not good enough, he knew that. "I-I mean Lord Teava has already told me to loosen up, my lord."

Acudae smiled at him. "I see."

In this moment Teava stood up. "Well, it has been lovely – but I'm afraid we have to go. Darth Baras expects us in the citadel."

Quinn almost jumped up while Vette and Pierce rose slower.

"Already?" exclaimed Rhajâ. "Then I have to insist that your companions stay in the estate for the time being – I wish to continue my conversation with Vette."

Vette seemed surprised, but then she started to beam. "I- thanks!"

"I agree – we shall prepare the guest rooms immediately," Acudae concurred.

Quinn became slightly nervous, but he quickly said: "Thank you, my lords."

"Great, we will return later. And you don't have to prepare a guest room for Captain Quinn. He will be staying with me," Teava said.

Quinn was taken aback. He hadn't expected that she would actually mention their … that she would actually admit that she was seeing him.

"Alright," Acudae replied without batting an eye. "See you later then."

ooOOoo

They exited the estate and used the family shuttle to fly directly to the Citadel in the middle of Kaas City. During the flight Quinn didn't miss the way Pierce was looking at him, but when Teava casually put her hand on Quinn's, he just shrugged and focussed on his data pad.

Stepping into the Empire power centre awed Quinn. It was the epitome of Imperial might and power. Pierce on the other hand seemed completely indifferent while Teava looked tense - she didn't smile and didn't talk. Vette stayed close to her, carrying Chester in her arms, a quick glance revealed that she was apparently scared.

When they finally reached Darth Baras' office, Teava took Chester from Vette and handed him to the honour guard at the door. Vette looked distraught, but Teava smiled reassuringly to her.

Quinn had never met Darth Baras in person. He was surprised by the chill emanating from the man as they stepped into his grand office – black marble columns and dark purple tapestries added to the threatening impression.

Teava bowed and her crew followed suit.

"Ah, Apprentice – I'm glad that you could join me." Baras' voice had an edge to it Quinn hadn't noticed before. "You are clearly my most capable apprentice in many years. Thus I will name you a full Lord of the Sith!"

Quinn felt content and looked at Teava; he had to suppress a smile.

Teava bowed again. "Thank you, Master."

"Together we will bring the Republic to its knees!" Baras glanced at Vette. "Send your … subordinates away, I need to talk to you alone."

Teava turned to face them. "I will catch up with you." She was tense; Quinn couldn't read the situation at all – should he stay in the vicinity in case that she needed him? But then again it was presumptuous to think that a powerful woman like her would actually need support.

"Thank you, my lord," Quinn finally said and turned on his heel to leave. Judging from the footsteps behind him Vette and Pierce followed him.

ooOOoo

Once outside Baras' office Vette took Chester back from the honour guard. The man drew breath to say something, but Quinn cut him off before he could speak: "Thank you for taking care of Lord Teava's pet."

"Of course, Captain." The guard's voice dripped with sarcasm.

When they were finally outside, Vette exhaled. "Man, I've almost forgotten how depressing and creepy that place is!"

"Yes – it was chilly, wasn't it?" Quinn said contemplatively.

"Met Darth Jadus once. It was fucking freezing. Must be a Sith thing." Pierce checked his data pad. "I will meet up with some of my old buddies – see you later."

He gave Quinn a mock salute and walked briskly towards the taxi platform.

"Is there a park somewhere? Chester really needs to go for a walk." Vette put Chester down and petted him. "Who is a good boy? Yes, you are!"

"Yes, the Memorial Park isn't far from here."

"Is it some sort of cemetery?"

"No, it's just a place to honour those fallen in service to the Empire. It's just a park with monuments." He said the last sentence softer. "I will accompany you."

"Really? Don't you want to meet up with your pals like Pierce?"

Quinn shook his head. "I can use the fresh air." In fact Quinn was relieved that he had something to do. There was nobody left anyway he could talk to – or rather who would talk to him.

ooOOoo

The rain was letting up, so they deactivated their rain shields by the time they reached the park. It was well visited by people taking a stroll. Small groups of men and women in uniform walked past them when they entered the memorial park. Chester yanked at his leash as soon as the trees came in sight. Vette quickened her pace and led him to the nearest tree. Chester immediately started to coo and smelled at the grass and the plants.

"Do you think I should let him off the leash?" Vette asked and looked at Quinn over her shoulder. "Or are war droids hidden in the woods who will shoot people for disrespectful behaviour?"

"Of course not! I – " He stopped in mid-sentence when he heard a very familiar voice.

"… can't believe it. The Dornes are such a distinguished family! To think that their daughter would defect!"

Quinn turned on his heel and suddenly stood eye to eye with a grey-haired, elderly woman with sharp cheekbones. She was wearing a black overcoat that strongly resembled the one military officers wore. She had been talking to two middle-aged light-skinned men who were wearing uniforms of Imperial Intelligence.

"Malavai!" she said, shock visible on her face when she saw him.

"Mother," Quinn simply said, equally flabbergasted.

"W-what a surprise to see you here." She managed a smile.

"Is this your son, Natahale?" asked the taller of the men. His eyes lingered for a moment on Quinn's rank insignia. Quinn felt himself getting tense.

Natahale brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Yes – and how good of you to visit me!"

Then her sight fell on Vette who was politely nodding toward her and Natahle frowned, her mouth twitching a little.

Quinn knew of course that she was anything but pleased. His mother hated surprises, and he knew that little twitch of her mouth all too well. He wasn't interested in exposing her and so he played along. "Perhaps we could meet for a cup of tea later this afternoon? I don't want to keep you or your friends."

"Of course – let's meet up at the Mismar Café at 16 o'clock."

"Then it's settled – see you soon, Mother. Good day to you, gentlemen," Quinn said politely.

The men and Natahle were about to say good-bye when Teava entered the park and approached them. It seemed that she had guessed where they had gone. Quinn smiled a little when he saw her. She awkwardly winked back at him. Of course his mother took note and turned to greet her.

"My lord," she bowed.

"My lord," echoed the two men by her side.

Teava nodded at them. "Greetings."

Quinn cleared his throat. "My lord, may I introduce my mother – Natahle Quinn."

"My lord, it's truly an honour – these are Major Squrud and Commander Gunnand from Imperial Intelligence."

"Ah, uh, greetings," Teava repeated, obviously insecure how to proceed.

The men bowed and Natahle continued to speak. "My son is lucky to serve such a noble Sith – your family is very well known in Kaas City."

"Thank you for your kind words. Mal- Captain Quinn is indeed an exceptional officer. You should be proud."

"Thank you my lord, but he still needs to learn a lot."

Quinn felt awkward. The whole situation reminded him of the day of his graduation from the academy. The headmaster had told her that she saw a great future for Quinn – his mother had just smiled coldly and had told her that she was well aware that he still had to work very hard to get a decent posting, since he was such a "soft-hearted dreamer."

"I'm hosting a party for promising young officers tonight, my lord. It's a gathering for those who are predestined for greatness. You would honour me greatly if you would attend," Natahle said, with a winning smile.

Teava was taken aback and quickly glanced at Quinn before answering. "Yes, thank you very much for the invitation. I will gladly attend."

Natahle quickly pulled a data pad from her purse and sent the address and the invitation – or so Quinn assumed – to Teava.

"I'm looking forward to talking with you, my lord!" She bowed again and then she and her companions left.

"My lord, I'm sorry-" began Quinn, but Teava interrupted him.

"Don't worry, she seems like a nice lady – and I like parties."

Vette looked at her with her eyebrow raised, but she didn't say anything.

Teava crouched down and petted Chester. "Baras hasn't said anything in particular – but he will send us on some sort of recon mission in a couple of days. So we can have a little R&R after all. I will check out the city and visit my old stomping grounds."

Teava got up and looked at Quinn. "I guess you are meeting up with your mother?"

"Yes, we will have tea in a couple of hours." He didn't feel that it was necessary to comment on how awkward that tea time will most likely be. Perhaps he should try to relax before this- this confrontation.

"Alright – you up for some shopping, Vette? I need to buy new shield generators."

"Good idea, I saw that Czerka is selling their new XM-Blasters, I wouldn't mind a try-out! I just have to bring Chester back the estate."

"I'm in the mood for a walk," said Quinn. "I can take Chester back if you like."

"Great – thanks!" Vette handed the leash to him. "Could you feed him as well?"

"Of course."


	10. The Pair

As soon as he arrived at the estate Quinn used the servants' entrance to enter the house again – the guard droids apparently had already received instructions to let him pass. A droid let him into the kitchen where Quinn informed the service droids of Chester's needs. They filled a small bowl with vegetables and Chester devoured everything within minutes.

Then one of the droids led him to Vette's room, where he let Chester off the leash and closed the door behind him. Just when he turned to leave he heard a voice ringing out.

"Captain Quinn – back so soon?"

He turned and saw Acudae walking towards him. He bowed. "My lord, I merely brought Chester back. I will leave for the city again shortly."

"Why wasn't I informed that one of the guests has come back?" Acudae asked sharply, staring at the droid.

"Captain Quinn entered the estate through the servant entrance, Mistress. Therefore I assumed that his return didn't warrant your attention."

Acudae blinked in confusion. Quinn realised that he had made a mistake.

"My lord, I apologize if I have caused trouble. I thought it presumptuous to enter through the main gate. Shall I tell Vette and Pierce not to use it then?"

"Of course not! You are our guests!" Acudae turned to the droid. "Leave us, please."

It obeyed and Quinn fell into parade rest and grabbed his left hand.

"I think I understand now what kind of man you are, Captain Quinn. I see why you have my daughter's favour."

He shifted his weight from one leg to another. He didn't know what to say. Finally he managed to say "Thank you, my lord".

She smiled warmly at him. "I will show you to her room."

ooOOoo

When the doors slid shut behind him, Quinn exhaled and ran his hand through his hair. It had been a weird day so far and he felt exhausted. But then he remembered where he was and cautiously stepped into the middle of the room. Light wood dominated the furniture, a collection of lightsabers and vibro-swords were hanging on the walls. White curtains were hanging in front of the windows, on the desk in the northern part of the room stood an old holocomm device and a holocomm station. A few holopictures showed Pureblood Sith he didn't know. The whole room reminded him of Teava, but he couldn't say why… And he had the privilege to stay here …

Then he remembered that he hadn't told 2V that they would be staying at the estate. He pulled his data pad from his utility belt and sent him a message to collect a set of fresh clothes and sent it to the estate. Then he checked the time: 14:58.

It was time to leave for the café.

As he walked alone through Kaas City he realised that he was actually looking forward to chatting with his mother. Certainly she had only been busy with her important work at the Ministry of Information and would've eventually written back. Perhaps they could finally mend their relationship now that he was again moving up in the galaxy.

He arrived at exactly 15.58 at the café and sat down at a table. He ordered a turu tea and scrolled though a few reports and checked the time: It was already 16.08. It was rather unusual for his mother to be late.

After a few more minutes she finally arrived and sat down across from him, putting her rain shield droid into her purse. "I apologize, but I have a lot on my plate right now."

"It's alright, I had plenty to read," Quinn replied, then took a sip of his tea.

"Are you still reading that historical nonsense?" Natahle waved a waiter and rummaged again in her purse without looking at him.

"Actually I was reading a report on recent Imperial war efforts."

She pulled her holocomm device from her bag and checked it quickly. "Ah." The waiter arrived and she said: "A glass of iced tea please."

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Busy – beside my work for the ministry I'm organising events for promising young soldiers. Idleness rusts the mind, so I'm enjoying myself quite a bit actually."

Quinn waited politely a few moments for her to ask about him, but when she stayed silent he spoke up. "I'm fine, too. Lord Teava is a very capable Sith and the rest of the crew is competent. And Darth Baras had taken note of my work and has promoted me to captain."

"Yes, yes, and when will you become a major?"

Quinn was caught off guard by her question. "I- I don't know. I assume it will take some time before I'm promoted again."

"Excuse my lack of enthusiasm. But you were a major ten years ago –"

"Do we have to discuss this again?" he asked with a cutting tone in his voice.

The waiter brought her iced tea and left. Natahle didn't touch it, instead she stared sadly at her son. "You have no idea what I had to endure after your mistake. All the whispers behind my back, the shame whenever I met your old classmates from the academy – even the most dimwitted of them is now at least a commander."

"I did the right thing," Quinn said coldly. "It wasn't a mistake."

"But of course you were always a soft-hearted dreamer," Natahle continued as if he hadn't spoken, "who wasted his time with foolish things like dreaming of joining the Imperial Guard. We thought that your naiveté, your childish patriotism would disappear over the years."

Quinn frowned. "You think my patriotism is childish?"

"My poor boy, your community-oriented patriotism is of course childish. Despite your intelligence, you never understood that one has to look out for oneself – no one else will. But even after Balmorra, even after all these years you still believe that your loyalty, your sacrifice for the, uh, greater good will pay off."

Quinn felt caught and shifted in his seat.

"But it won't," Natahle said sharply. "You have to utilize those subordinated to you to advance, step on their backs to go forward if necessary. That is the Imperial way!"

"That isn't the Imperial way!" Quinn said hotly. "I'm of course aware that some might build their career on that, but Lord Teava for example -"

"Lord Teava is a Pureblood Sith. She can afford those values you cherish so much because she's a powerful Force-user from an ancient family. She doesn't have to fight for her place of power – the rest of us have to!"

"You mean you have to?" Quinn asked, annoyed.

"Come now, Malavai. Don't hide behind sophistry to cover up your weakness. Today I saw you in the park with this Twi'lek – you were on a walk with a _slave_ and a _gizka_. This wasn't about community or for the betterment of the Empire. I bet you offered to take her there because you thought it was called for."

Again Quinn felt caught; was he really so easy to read?

"Your father and I paid a fortune to the best eugenics specialist to ensure that you had what it takes to bring pride to the Quinn family. We sent you to the best schools, engaged the best tutors. And despite your potential and our _best_ efforts, you still _failed_." She sighed. "My mother was right after all – it was foolish to focus on one child instead of raising several."

Quinn clenched his hands to fists, wanted to disprove her, to tell her that he wasn't a failure. But he couldn't think of anything to say – his career was indeed in shambles and he was indeed but a captain at an age in which others were at least commanders. He stopped clenching his fists. He was indeed weak, all of it was true.

Natahle leaned forward. "You need to pull yourself together, Malavai. There is no room for mistakes – being in Lord Teava's service is probably your last chance to actually achieve something in your life. To prove that you're more than a failure."

Quinn just stared at her. They had had this conversation many times, but this was the first time she had actually told him that he had failed his parents. He was surprised to discover that it still hurt him even though she had implied it often enough.

"I- I won't fail," he only managed to say.

She smiled and patted his knee. "Of course you won't." Natahle checked her holocomm. "Unfortunately I have to leave now – there is still much to prepare for the party." She got up and put her coat on. "You're a busy man, I don't expect you to show up tonight. I'm certain that you still have a lot of work to do to keep your post."

Quinn glanced at her iced tea – she hadn't even touched it. He looked up and watched how she put her shawl around her neck. He felt cold and sick. "Yes, of course. Good-bye mother," he said in a toneless voice.

"Good-bye Malavai," she replied and left without looking back.

ooOOoo

Back at the estate, Quinn used the main gate, but he was told that the masters of the house were out. He was relieved and strode directly into Vette's room. Chester was playing with a pillow and cooed when he saw Quinn. He ran towards him and rubbed himself against his legs.

Quinn picked Chester up. The animal purred and snuggled himself into Quinn's arms. Feeling the warmth of the animal against his chest consoled and calmed Quinn.

"How are you?" he asked softly and petted him.

Chester crowed happily.

"I'm not doing so well." Quinn said quietly.

Another crow made Quinn almost smile.

"Really, do you think so?"

Quinn pressed Chester a little closer to his chest and sat down on the couch in the left corner of the room. He took his data pad in his right hand and stroked Chester, who sat on his lap, with his left. Soon the pet fell asleep.

ooOOoo

Several hours later his holocomm beeped and startled Chester; he ran off and hid under the bed before Quinn could catch him. A glance at the caller ID revealed that Teava was calling him.

Alarmed, he activated his comm and within moments Teava's small bluish figure appeared.

"My lord?"

"Where are you?" she asked, a smile audible in her voice. "I can't find you in this crowd. Your mother knows how to throw a party!"

Quinn relaxed a little, so she hadn't called him because it was an emergency. "I'm at the estate, I'm not attending the party."

"What? You can't tell me that you still have work to do!"

He shifted in his seat. "I didn't receive an invitation, but it's alright –"

"Malavai, are you seriously so stuck up? Your mother is the host! You don't need a formal invitation!" she sounded impatient.

"She asked me not to come," he reluctantly admitted.

"She did?" Teava asked, her voice flat.

"Yes."

"Why in the galaxy would she do that?"

"I would rather not discuss it," Quinn ran a hand through his hair.

"Do you really don't want to talk about it or are you just embarrassed?"

"It's awkward …"

"This won't do! I'm on my way!" Teava ended the call.

Quinn buried his face in his hands. He should've just lied to her – told her that he had work to do. He should have played the role of the stoic arrogant officer who's too busy to attend frivolous parties. Now he had to admit his weakness, his immature sense of duty to the woman whose strength he admired and loved.

He really wished Vette were here to give him advice on how to handle this. She usually had a good perspective on these matters. Quinn briefly toyed with the idea of calling her, but then he discarded it. He couldn't rely on Vette; he had to be strong on his own.

Quinn stood up and wanted to start to look for Chester. But then he halted. What was he doing? The gizka wasn't his problem, wasn't it? Why should he care how he was doing? But then he remembered how happy Vette was when she was playing with Chester. And hadn't he himself started to like him? Taken comfort in his company?

He knelt down and saw Chester in the farthest corner under the bed.

"Come here, everything is alright," Quinn said and gestured Chester to come to him.

Chester ran to Quinn and prodded him with his nose. Quinn petted Chester. "Good boy."

After a few moments Chester ran to the pillow and started to play with it by tossing it up in the air.

Quinn thought about taking the pillow away so that Chester wouldn't damage it. But it seemed cruel to deny him his game … by the stars, his mother was indeed right – he was soft-hearted. Quinn sighed and left the room. Teava would certainly arrive soon – he should wait for her in her room.

ooOOoo

Quinn stood in front of the panorama window and stared into the distance when Teava arrived. The noise of the door sliding open made him flinch. He turned to greet her and he almost gasped when he saw her – Teava looked absolutely stunning. She wore a dark robe with rich embroidery; it was unostentatious but elegant. Her bright eyes almost glowed in the dim light of the room.

"My l-," Quinn began, but Teava stepped forward and embraced him. He returned the hug.

For a few moments they stood in silence.

"Now tell me," Teava quietly said. "Tell me what you really want to say."

Quinn looked her in the eye. Here it was again, the strange glint she sometimes had. Suddenly he felt liberated – this was it, the right time to tell her everything. "I love you, Teava. I love you so much that I even sometimes forget how much I hate myself."

"I don't understand – why would you hate yourself?"

"I was too weak to succeed in life and left to my own devices I would still be languishing on Balmorra. It's pathetic."

She let go of him and cupped his cheek with her hand. "You are not weak."

Quinn took her hand and kissed it. "You are mistaken. I dream of an Empire that doesn't exist, where hard work pays off and where we all strive together for a common goal. And I'm too cowardly to admit that perhaps all my sacrifices were for naught." He paused. "I'm soft and weak-willed and I'm afraid that you will send me away because of it."

"This is what happened, isn't it? You were left behind because you were supposedly too soft?"

Quinn just nodded.

"Do you know why I chose to share my bed you?" she smiled at him; it warmed his heart.

"You said that you were attracted to me."

"No, I mean now. Why did I choose to be with you?"

"I-I don't know. You said that you missed me."

Teava took his hand and kissed it. "Because you brave and strong, my love." She kissed his hand again. "You always stood by your beliefs, even when they set back your career. A lesser man would have become bitter and cold towards those who moved on, but not you. You didn't blame others for your misfortune ‑ quite the contrary. You helped whoever needed your help. Even if you didn't profit from it. This is not the easy way a coward would take. It's the long way only a brave man can endure."

"But-" Teava shook her head and he fell silent.

"At first I didn't realise it, but I have fallen in love with you, Malavai. I thought love only had to be fire and all-consuming lust, but it's more than that. Love is you kissing me every morning when you get up, love is me holding your hand and love is us lying in bed together, reading while enjoying our company."

Quinn started to beam, he licked his lips and asked quietly: "Y-you are in love with me?"

She gave him a lopsided smile. "That's the bottom line of my little speech, yes." Then she pulled him into a kiss.

She interrupted the kiss after a few moments and whispered: "There is something else I need to tell you."

"Really?"

"Your mother's party sucked."

Quinn laughed. "And why is that?"

"There was no music to dance to!"

"Aren't you supposed to say because I wasn't there?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, that too, but mostly the music!" Then she said in a soft voice. "I was really looking forward to dancing with you."

Quinn took the hint and went to the comm station. He thought about checking the time as he used the station, but then he decided against it. Quinn chose a playlist, seconds later slow music started to play. He returned to Teava and bowed.

"May I ask for this dance, my lord?"

"Of course, my captain."

They started to dance, but despite the elegant, fluent music, it was quite an awkward business. When Teava stepped on Quinn's feet for the third time, he burst out laughing. "You are a horrible dancer!"

"I am not! Not only am I a very smooth flirter, but I'm also a born dancer!"

"No – you are always off-beat. But that's what a love about you."

"You love about me that I'm breaking your toes?"

"At least you're not wearing your heavy-plated combat boots," quipped Quinn. "But what I really meant was that I love how you carry yourself. I think I was lost the moment you stepped into my office in Sobrik."

She didn't say anything, instead she just looked at him, there was again the gleam, the spark in her eyes he had seen before. And in this moment everything was alright, his nagging self-doubts were reduced to a whisper until he couldn't hear them anymore.


End file.
